


Little Sleeping Beauty [English Version]

by LilTomato



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: AU - Fairytale, Characters Are Older Than In The Anime, F/M, Fairies, M/M, Magical Curse, Yuto as Philip, Yuya as Aurora, Yuzu as Maleficent, based on Disney's Sleeping Beauty from 1959, counterpartshipping, nothing for Hiragi Yuzu-fans (YOU'VE BEEN WARNED), only on AO3, pawnshipping, translated from German Version
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22401808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilTomato/pseuds/LilTomato
Summary: [translated from the German Version]Once upon a time, there was a child that was cursed by an evil fairy...Based on the Disney movie from 1959Rated M for Safety
Relationships: Akaba Ray/Zarc, Jack Atlas/Carly Nagisa, Kurosaki Ruri & Rin & Serena, Kurosaki Shun & Yuto & Yuri, Sakaki Yuya/Yuto, Yugo/Yuri (Yu-Gi-Oh), Zarc & Akaba Ray & Sakaki Yuya
Kudos: 20





	1. Beginn of a Fairytale

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :)
> 
> This is my first Arc V-story here on Ao3  
> I hope that it is fun to read it
> 
> (Please don't ignore the tags, they are here for a reason, thank you)
> 
> One thing:  
> English is not my mother language, so there will be mistakes  
> Just so you know
> 
> You find the German Version here:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/22401916/chapters/53522275

Once upon a time in a far, far away kingdom, there was a royal couple. The people loved them because both were very kind and righteous. And still, they were unhappy. For years they wished for a child to complete their happiness. Unfortunately, this happiness had been denied to them. Until a beautiful day...

CRASH!!!

The doors of the room flew open and against the walls, causing the men sitting at a long table to startle. Actually, they had hoped to be able to have their conversation in peace, so it had been arranged. Therefore, they were surprised to be disturbed and even more, when they saw who interrupted them. A woman rushed toward her, the maroon brown hair falling loosely over her shoulders, dressed in a long night dress and dressing gown, thin sandals on her feet. "Zarc!!" she squeaked, smiling brightly all over her face before she threw herself into the arms of one of the men, who had risen at the sight of her.

This one was wearing next to brown boots, dark blue pants and a matching shirt a purple colored cloak. A golden circlet flashed in his silver hair . As the smaller body collided with his own, he got out of balance and almost fell to the ground but he managed to get a hold at the table at the last second. "Ray?! What's wrong? Are you alright?", he wanted to know while she covered his face with kisses. "M-Mylady! Not so fast! You have to be careful!" Two men came into the room as well, visibly out of breath as if they had made a race through the whole castle.

"What has happened?" the king wanted to know, the gaze from golden eyes now directed to the two newcomers. But before one of them could give an answer, the woman was faster then them. "I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed very happy. "We're having a baby!" His jaw dropped. "Really?" With widen eyes he looked between her and the duo back and forth. The latter nodded in sync. "That's right... Your Majesty..." one of them answered breathlessly. 

On the face of the royal a smile spread out which was in no way inferior to his wife's radiance. "That's great!!" he cheered and whirled her around, despite the protests of the two doctors before he placed her on her feet again. Ray laughed and laid her hands on the cheeks of her husband to pull him to herself and kissed him deeply. Everyone in the room around them clapped and congratulated them as they parted from each other.

Continuing the conference was difficult thanks to this happy news and so Zarc ended the meeting. The doctors insisted that the queen returned to her chambers and was easy on herself to not endanger the life of the baby. It had taken so long until she got pregnant, so nobody wanted to endanger the small and fragile being. Zarc remained in the room, his hands on the papers in front of him and with his thoughts at the unborn child which was growing inside his beloved one. "Congratulations, my friend." a voice was heard and a hand was placed on his shoulder.

The man looked up and into the likewise golden eyes of his best friend, the king of the neighboring kingdom. "Thank you, Shun." The other male nodded and gave a servant who was standing at the door a sign, before he sat opposite of the silver haired one. The servant hurried out and returned a little bit later with two goblets and one carafe. "Let's start with that." he said and poured them some of the red wine from the latter. "On your wife and your offspring, no matter if boy or girl!" Both kings raised the goblets and toasted each other, before they drank from the alcoholic liquid.

"I can't describe how happy I am at the moment." 

"You don't need, I see it in your face." Both laughed. "Finally I can annoy you too with stories about babies." Zarc said. Shun smirked and brushed through his dark green hair. "As if you can. And Yuto will have someone to play with. I can't get his cousin out of the library and away from those books about flowers, so I hope very much that he will spend some time with your child at least."

The silver haired grinned and leaned back. "Maybe we should introduce the two with Lord Atlas' son. He would certainly keep them busy, even Yuri." he suggested. His conversation partner raised an eyebrow while he took a sip. "Ah right, the boy has to be two years old, right? Or is it already three? And you are really sure that he will get even Yuri out of his shell?" he wanted to know and got a nod.

"Very sure. The brat could hardly walk and he has already turned the castle upside down. A bookworm like your nephew he will certainly give a run for his money, so that he won't be able to spend his time with books anymore." Zarc answered. "You know, I imagine this right at the moment and for some reason I feel sorry for the furnishing of our castles." Shun commented dryly and made sure with this statement that the other one swallowed his red wine with the wrong pipe. After multiple choughing his opponent started to laugh and eventually he did too.

After calming down, the two kings just sat on their chairs and looked out of the window. "What are you thinking about?" the silver haired male wanted to know after a while. "About the future of our children and our kingdoms." his best friend answered after a moment. Zarc raised an eyebrow when he recognised the tone of voice of the other one. Slowly he turned his head and looked at him. It was quiet, until... 

"Seriously, Shun?! Now?" Zarc punched with a fist on the table and jumped up. "My child hasn't been born and you want to pair it off with your son?!" he was upset. The other royal stayed where he was. "Sit down again and calm down." he said, waiting until the man followed his words and sat down, scowling. "And now remember our dream from years ago. Our two countries, not only neighbours but as one nation and our people united as brothers and sisters." he continued.

Once again, the expectant father jumped up. "Due to our children?! As heirs to the thrones they will have enough stress!" he protested. "Do you have a better idea?" Shun wanted to know calmly. "For years we're looking for the right way to make our dream come true. What speaks against it if our children are this way?" Zarc stopped and stayed where he was. Slowly he turned to the other one. "And if my child will be a boy? Or if Yuto doesn't have an interest?" he asked.

The other king was silent for a moment. "It wouldn't be anything we could solve." he said. "If your offspring will become a male, there will be the possibility of adoption, if you are thinking about grandchildren. After all, I was adopted by my parents as well. And I will make sure that Yuto will have interest." His best friend continued to look doubtful, so he tried with another argument. "What's better for you? Someone you don't know and need to know first before you can be sure that your offspring really will be happy, or my son, who you know already and will be meeting in the future?"

He gave him time to think, waiting silently, until the silver haired male sat down with a sigh. "You're right! In everything that can be sacred, Shun, you're right. And your boy is a self-respecting, little guy." He grabbed his mug and drank the rest of the wine. For an moment he looked at the juwels which had been incorporated into the gold of the drinking cup, then to the man sitting opposite of him. "Beside, where would be the meaning of uniting our countries if our families don't even do it?" The dark green haired one grinned lightly. "That's what I was thinking. I' sure Ray will agree with me." 

"Of course. Ray is a smart woman. Guess why I married her." The grin became bigger. "Because at least one of you will be the smart one in your relationship?" 

"Don't get cocky!" The two men laughed, then they shook hands to seal their deal.

~~~

Several months a healthy boy was born by queen Ray. The whole country cheered about the birth of the little prince who was named Yuya by his overjoyed parents. To celebrate this happy event king Zarc organised a big feast and invited from far and near. Even his own people were stopped to lay down their work for this day and to celebrate.

~~~

"Do I really have to?" Shun stopped on the spot and looked to the two boys who were some steps behind him. One of them had pink-violet hair and pink eyes as well as a bored expression. He had crossed his arms and was busy looking at a painting. The speaker returned the look of the king out of steel grey eyes under a wild, black mop of hair with lavender bangs. "I think we have discussed about this topic more than enough, Yuto. Today, we will celebrate with king Zarc and queen Ray the birth of their son and you will meet your future bride and you will show your best behaviour." he said.

"I don't want to marry the child of your friend!" the boy replied and glared at him. "I want to decide for myself who I'm going to marry when I'm older." 

"Yuto." The expression of his father told him that his patience was near the end. "You're not the son of some nearly impoverished noble who had free choice with choosing his bride. You're my son and I expect you become aware of the responsibility you carry in your position. In addition, you know about prince Yuya only his name and that he's king Zarc's son. Until you two are going to get married, a few more years will pass to get to know each other. And Yuri? Don't smirk this cocky! As my nephew, you have certain responsibilities as well." the man said authoritatively and nodded in the direction of the big hinged door just a few meter away from them. "And now come! They are waiting for us."

Yuto had a snappy answer laying on his tongue but he hold it back to not anger his father anymore. Instead, he gave his cousin a bitter look whose grin disappeared for a moment. "Don't look so stupid." he hissed at him. "And you do not look so grim or your bride will crawl away from you before you can say "cheese cake"." Yuri replied quietly with an even bigger smirk. The black haired boy had to wait for an answer because the voice of a herald already sounded who loudly announced their names so that everyone in the hall behind the doors knew that they had arrived.

King Zarc approached them, a proud sparkle in his golden eyes. "Shun! Good to see you." he greeted him. "And prince Yuto and Lord Yuri. Welcome!" Yuto really didn't feel like it but under the watchful eye of his father and the present of the feast he hold himself back. "It is good to see you, Your Highness." he answered the greeting and bowed. Yuri followed his example. The silver haired male nodded, then he led the trio to the two thrones which were raised slightly at the other end of the hall. 

Queen Ray smiled at them while standing next to a cradle and after another welcome she nodded to the prince. "Come. I would like to introduce you to someone." For a brief moment Yuto was wondering that she left his cousin out but then he became aware that the woman was aware of the marriage plans of the two male royals and agree with them as she led him to the cradle and introduced the tiny bundle as her newborn son Yuya.

The baby was asleep, not bothered by the bustle and the many voices around it. Tiny fingers stretched out of the sleeves and a little face with a small nose and rose colored lips was to be seen between the fabric folds. Not much to get a better impression. His gaze was very disappointed. He should marry this midget in whatever-how-many years? Ray smiled when she saw his expression and leaned slightly towards him. "A first impression can always fool others. Don't worry too much." she whispered to him. She could see that he wasn't happy about already being engaged in such young years. Yuto raised the head and returned her gaze. The woman was like a mother to him after his own died a few months after his birth because of illness. Because he didn't want to offend her, he nodded.

In the meantime Shun had greeted Lord Atlas and his family after seeing that his son was with the baby. The blond man stood with a little boy at his hand and his wife just a few steps away from the other king. He wasn't smiling, he rarely did, but he seemed to be relaxed. "My son Yugo." he introduced the small child after the obligatory welcome. Big, light blue eyes blinked at the dark haired male from under blonde bangs and blue hair. "Hello uncle." The man looked baffled while the little one's parents looked embarrassed. Yuri giggled behind his hand. "Yugo, this is the king of our neighbor kingdom. You can't call him uncle." Lord Atlas explained the boy who looked at him innocent-questioning. "Not? No uncle?"

A smile spread out on Shun's face. The little one with his cheeky mouth was really refreshing. "It's okay." he said when the couple tried to speak again with their offspring, then he pushed his nephew forward. "Yugo, that is my nephew Yuri." The violet haired inspected the younger child in front of him before smirking. "Nice to meet you, Yuugou." The face of the smaller one darkened. "It's Yugo, not Yuugou!" he protested. "Cabbage head!" Then he showed Yuri his tongue. 

The other male glared at him. "Banana skull!" he countered immediately. Zarc almost douled over from laughing behind Shun's back. "I've told you." he said while Lady Atlas tried to calm down the duo who threw some niceties at each other. "Right. Your son has it fist thick behind his ears." the king turned to the noble. The other man frowned deeply. "He spend a lot of time with a friend and this friend doesn't know always when to hold back with certain words."

Shun wanted to say something when the herald could be heard again. "The ladies Ruri, Rin and Serena!" Yuto returned to the side of his father and Zarc joined his wife when a beam of light shined through one of the windows, together with different colored, sparkling dust grains. Those grains grew und came closer until they took the forms of three women. The first one wore a yellow dress. Long, dark violet hair fell over her back. The second one had beside short, green hair a mint green dress and the third in the group wore her blue hair into a ponytail with a matching blue dress. She was the only one of the trio, whose expression was serious. Her companions smiled when they all floated over the floor of the hall, carried by their wings.

"The three fairies of good." Shun whispered to Yuto and Yuri, who stopped the childish bickering with Yugo. The younger male stood with his parents and pouted into the direction of the violet haired. "Their visit is something special." Well, special it was definitely because normally the royal couple was greeted first before the guests could look at the newborn prince. The fairies flew to the cradle first and cooed about how sweet and cute the baby was. Even Serena's expression softened and a little smile danced around her lips. "Your Highness, I would like to convey our congratulations on behalf of us three. And everyone of us has brought a present for your son." Ruri spoke after the fairies raised from their bow in front of the royal parents. She was the first who returned to the cradle und lifted the thin rod which everyone of the fairies had.

Yuto frowned while he was wondering what a newborn should do with beauty and a voice like from an angel which was gave to him by two of the women. The other guests seemed to be impressed by the gifts of the fairies and some of them started to think about how these gifts would show themselves in the future. The black haired boy didn't know what was more annoying for him at the moment: That young parents in the hall were already thinking about how the younger prince would look in the coming years so that they could pair him off with their own children or that his father and his best friend would use Ruris and Rins gifts to bring Yuya and himself closer to each other.

Serena had just taken her place in front of the cradle to follow the example of her two friends, her wand raised as suddenly all candles went out. Shocked outcries followed, especially when in the middle of the giant room a weird, garish pink light appeared out of nowhere. It seemed blurred but it quickly became clearer and turned to a flame which grew until it took the form of a woman. A skintight, black dress with gloves covered her body and two crows sat down on her shoulders from which a floor-length cloak fell. One of them had bald spots in the plumage, the feathers of the other one were bleached on the head. Pink hair was bound into two ponytails. An icy smile was under blue eyes.

"Your majesty, it is good to see you." the woman said and bowed in front of Zarc and Ray. "Yuzu... How do we get to the... "honor" of your visit?" The expression of the silver haired male was like frozen. Slowly he took a step forward to get the attention of the pink haired female durable. Shun had pushed Yuto and Yuri behind himself while Lord Atlas hid his wife and son from the new guest. "The message reached me that Your Majesties became parents of a prince. A day of joy without doubt, it can be seen to the guests present here. Kings, Lords, countesses and-" she interrupted herself when her gaze fell on the fairies positioned in front of the cradle as if they could protect the baby with these gesture alone. A mocking laugh floated between her lips. "Yes, even the common mob is here."

Rin's brown eyes narrowed in anger and she clenched her fist but Ruri and Serena held her back. Zarc coughed and Yuzu turned back to him. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, if I have offended you." She bowed while the crows on her shoulders flapped with their wings. "Oh how I would love to pluck out Leo and Roger's feathers. These stupid beasts!" Rin mumbled so quietly that only Ruri and Serena heard her. 

The green haired female regarded the two birds with all the hate which had accumulated over time by spiteful pranks and nastiness of the animals. Her longhaired friend patted her shoulder without letting Yuzu out of her eyes who lifted one hand and stroke the head of the bird with the bald spots. The other hissed in the direction of the fairies whereupon Rin was visibly fuming with more rage.

Yuzu looked at Zarc. "I thought that I am invited as well to this celebration though I didn't get an invitation. I am heartbroken that it probably got lost." she said with a candy sweet voice. The golden eyes of the king narrowed but when he opened his mouth to answer her, Rin forestalled who didn't hold back anymore. "No one here would invite you willingly!" she snapped. "No one here?!" the woman echoed visibly suprised as if she couldn't believe it that she was ignored like that. "Well, if that's it~ Then I will leave." Her face darkened as she turned around.

"Please wait!" Ray's voice resounded through the hall. Yuzu stopped and turned to the queen. "It wasn't our intention to offend you. It was assumed that you wouldn't be interested in this kind of festivities. This faux pas won't happen again, I assure you." Zarc gave his wife a sharp look. He hadn't invited her on purpose. The pink haired woman was a fairy like the trio in front of his son's cradle but no one who used her magic to help humans. She had committed herself to evil with her body and soul. He didn't want someone like that near Yuya.

On the face of the dark fairy another smile spread out. "I understand, Your Majesty. So it was just a missunderstanding and I am very happy that it could be got out of the world." she said. "And to prove that it is and as sign of my good will, I will give a present to the prince as well." At the first moment the words sounded friendly but at the next the feeling of a threat sank into the minds of those present. Ruri, Rin and Serena retreated to the cradle, their arms outspread and determined to protect the young life in the furniture.

"You who are here listen to me!!" Yuzu's voice echoed through the masonry and nobody dared to move. The temperature seemed to fall by several degrees. "While the prince grows up, he will become beautiful, lovely and kind. He will touch the hearts of all who he's going to meet and those will love and adore him. Even the most beautiful birdsong won't be able to compete with the melody which will spring off his lips like every stream and river does in the own fountain." the pink haired woman began and let her eyes wander around until they focused on the cradle, ignoring the three friends als if they weren't existent from the very beginning. "However! As soon as the sun sets at the evening of his 16th birthday, he will stab his finger on the needle of a spinning wheel..." The smile in Yuzu's face became diabolical as she slightly tilted her head. "... and then he will die~"

The queen screamed in sheer horror und drew her child in her arms as if this could be enough to avert this terrible curse while at the same time there was movement in the multitude of guests. "GUARDS!!!" Zarc roared whereupon soldiers with lances in their hands appeared between the people directing their weapons at the fairy. "ARREST THIS WOMAN!!!" Yuzu only laughed. "Oh you fools!" she called out while pink flames licked up on her body and she eventually disappeared in a big flame. Leo and Roger flew through one of the window and for a short moment it was dark before the wicks in the whole hall ignited up again and send their warm light.

The people were totally upset, voices called mixed up, younger guests weeped. Yuri, like Yuto one of the few children who weren't crying, looked to the side and observed how Lord and Lady Atlas tried to calm down their offspring who had heavy tears rolling down his cheeks. For a moment he stayed hesitant, then he stepped to the little family and patted Yugo's head. The boy looked up and stared at him, then he threw himself into the arms of the other. The violet haired male was so suprised and irritated that he reacted a little late and continued to pat the younger one's head till he had calmed down. In the faces of Yugo's parents was gratitude. In the meantime Yuto kept an eye on the queen who cradles her whining newborn in her arms. He felt sorry for her.

"Your Majesty." Serena's voice turned the attention to the blue haired fairy who now stepped forward. "I haven't delivered my present." Zarc, kneeling with his wife and son, rose. "So you can take this curse from Yuya?" he asked hopefully. "I am sorry, Your Majesty. Yuzu's power is bigger than mine." she answered slightly dejected. The king lowered his head. He didn't want to believe that his only child should have only 16 years on earth. His best friend looked at him full of sympathy. "But that doesn't mean that I can't do anything for your son." Serena said whereupon all eyes turned back to her. Ruri and Rin nodded when she raised her wand. "I cannot take the curse of evil from you, little prince, but I give you a light that will bring hope. When the needle brings you death, so it will protect you and you will fall into a deep, deep sleep out of which only the kiss of true love will awake you to new life."

~~~

King Zarc trusted the three fairies but the fear about prince Yuya's life was so great that he ordered at the same day that all spinning wheels in the whole country should be destroyed. Not a single one was left over. He hoped that this action was enough to defend the child. And so the flames blazed up and fed on the wood given to them.

~~~

From the window of the guest rooms, in which they were housed, they had a good look at the inner courtyard of the castle. Residents of the country stood there and watched how the huge pile was consumed by fire. Although there was already late evening, the reddish light made it difficult for the two cousins to sleep. Therefore, Yuto stood at the window and looked down while Yuri had made himself comfortable on the sofa and was now reading a book. For a while there was silence between them. The only sounds that could be heard came from outside. "Does it not getting boring watching how all those spinning wheels are burning?" the little violet haired one wanted to know without looking up from the pages. The other boy looked to him. "Mhm... I don't know, what I should do." he answered and turned away from the windowsill.

It was on Yuri's tongue to suggest to find Yuya's chamber and spend some time with the child but he hold himself back. Since Yuzu had pronounced her curse, the tension in the palace was nearly tangible. Nobody knew when it would become too much and there would be the first fight. "How about a book? Or you ask your father if he has an idea." he said. Yuto remained silent for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. I'm going to ask father." he decided eventually and left the room while his cousin satisfied turned the page.

Though he had no idea where Shun was and so the black haired male walked through the corridors until he reached a half-open door, where he could hear a female voice behind it, talking with somebody. As he stepped closer, he could hear a child crying. Curious, the boy looked into the room and spotted queen Ray with a tiny bunch wrapped in light cloths in her arms. She didn't notice him, her whole attention was on the baby who she cradled gently back and forth. After a few moments she put the little one into the ornate cradle. "Mama will be here soon, my dear. Shh, everything is alright, Mama just need to get something, then Mama will be with you, Yuya." she said soothing, then the woman let off the furniture visibly unwilling and left the room.

Yuto backed away using the darkness behind the door to hide himself until he was sure that nobody except Yuya was in the room. Slowly he entered and walked quietly to the cradle to look inside. Two big, ruby red eyes returned his gaze, still slightly wet because of the crying and emerging curiosity who it was with him. The older prince blinked, momentarily captured by this red until a little sound got him out of his consideration. "Uhm.. hello. Well... So we meet again." He didn't know something better to say. "I don't think that you got that, after all you're still way too small, but I am the one you should marry someday. It's not from me, honestly. That's an idea from my Papa and yours."

Yuya looked upon him and made "Dabu?" without continuing to cry, so that he just spoke again. "But between the two of us, I believe that they're getting panic. Papa said something about a dream they both have. But because they can't fix it, we two have to take care of it." He rolled with his eyes and heard a giggle. Grey met red and this time Yutos mouth corners turned up while watching how the smaller male waved his little arms and kicked with the tiny feet under the blanket. Carefully he stretched out a hand and brushed over soft cheeks. "You're actually really cute." he mumbled. "Even if I don't know much about you."

For a few moment he was silent observing the little human bundle. The picture of Yuzu looking at the cradle and smirking maliciously while speaking her curse returned to his inner eye and his face darkened. "If this witch believes that she will get you, then she has bad luck. I'll kick her where it really hurts if she comes near you. I promise."

Yuya squealed and tiny finger groped for the bigger hand. It was difficult to keep up the bad mood and so the smile returned. It stayed when the bright face twisted because of tiredness. "Then I will let you sleep." Yuto waited till the little one closed his eyes after a heartful yawn, then he pulled his hand back. "Good night." he whispered.

The black haired boy didn't notice that Ray had already returned and stood hiden behind the door. A soft smile had appeared on her lips while watching the children and she was happy that the older prince reacted better than thought at first. Silently she withdraw as Yuto quietly crept out of the room again to let Yuya sleep.

At the same time in another part of the castle...

"This damn...!" Rin's wings flapped like they had to set a new record while Serena stood as cool as a cucumber at the window and watched how the mountain of spinning wheels burned to ashes, and Ruri sat at the table with a cup of tea in her hands. Magenta red eyes followed the green haired fairy who flew back and forth. "Calm down. It doesn't matter if you get upset." she said finally. The addressed female turned around. "Aren't you upset about what that bitch had done?!" she asked. "Of course I am, Rin. Like you I think it's not okay that Yuzu made prince Yuya her next victim. But what's the point of getting upset?" The fairy took a sip.

Her friend raised her arms to clarify her fury. "But that's not right! Why does this stupid cow always make such troubles?! Isn't it enough that she and her troublesome beasts make constantly problems?! Really, Ruri, how often did they destroy your birdhouses or devastate Serenas garden? Why does she have to bully a BABY? The prince hasn't done anything to her!" A sigh escaped Ruri and she exchanged a gaze with Serena. The blue haired woman smirked slightly. Even if they both didn't say it loud, they agreed with Rin. But in contrast to the green fairy they didn't ignore the fact that king Zarc obviously didn't invite Yuzu on purpose and she took even small reasons to harm someone. The best way to do this to the ruler was to target his child...

"And what are you suggesting, Rin? You know that we can't do much against Yuzu." the blue haired one intervened in the conversation. She was glad that her magic could affect the curse a little bit, at least she hoped it. She didn't know how well her present would help against the pink haired female. Years would pass until she could see the effect. Her friend turned to her. She opened her mouth and closed it again. "Good question." Rin answered calm since she used her energy for thinking. "But only sitting around isn't something I want to do as well as watching when an innocent child has to suffer. And who knows what this witch will do in the mean time to harm him."

Ruri put her cup to the side. "This is unfortunately to be feared that she will made his life a living hell until his 16th birthday arrives." she sighed. Serena moved back from her place at the window and flew to the darkviolet haired to sit down on a chair and drink something. "Well, here in the castle there are too many places where she can spy on him without difficulties. And then she just need to think about something and..." She snapped her fingers. Rin let herself fall on a chair. "The king will need more people to clear away Leos feathers. He will leave them everywhere while hiding during spying. Roger will do that as well but he doesn't loose his feathers." she grumbled.

"Of course. Yuzu will want to know exactly what is going on here in the castle." Serena agreed and closed her green eyes. "Yes, too many hiding places..." Ruri mumbled suddenly. She had become thoughtful and finally she raised her head. "Come." She stood up, swung her wand and her body shrank instantly in a shower of sparks. With the size of a few centimetres she flew with her friends who followed her example to a big music box which was given to queen Ray as a present some years ago. "Rin, close the cap. Nobody should hear us."

"What's going on?" the blue haired female puzzled wanted to know while Rin controlled again if they were really sealed off well from the rest of the world. Ruri waved both to her. "Imagine this: Three female farmers are raising an orphan child. Hidden in the deep forest." The green haired one raised an eyebrow. "And this is helping our problem how?" Serena frowned as well, until she got an idea what's spoken of. "Unless the orphan isn't an orphan." Rin needed a second moment til even she understood what her friend meaned. Her eyes sparkled. "Everything alright. And who are those farmers?" The adressed one smiled and lifted her rod. Sparkles enshrouded the three and as they disappeared, their dresses changed, were simply cut with aprons, spots of dirt and repaired areas in the fabric. Their hair were covered by triangular cloths.

"We are those female farmers." Ruri revealed and watched how Rins jaw dropped when she saw herself. "We?!" she echoed. "Are you really sure?" Serena enquired. "Pretend to be farmers, that can be made but we don't have any idea how to take care of a baby." Her friend smiled. "We can still change that if we learn it." she optimistically answered. "Right and if necessary we can still use our wands-" 

"No!" The short haired stopped startled as their leader interrupted her. "Under no circumstances should we use magic. We would betray the prince maybe to Yuzu and we can't risk that, no matter what."

She extended her hand. "Until prince Yuyas 16th birthday we will give up on magic, so give me your wands." she explained determined and took these to herself. "And now hurry, we need to talk to the king and the queen." Ruri opened the music box and climbed out using the magic of her rod to made herself big again. "Wait for us!" She smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not forgetting you two." she said and swung her wand again when the other two fairies left their hiding place. Then she let the magic expedient disappear into the pocket of her skirt.

A few hours later three women hidden in brown cloaks ran through the dark corridors of the castle. Their goal was a side door. "Only a moment." Ruri whispered and looked to her friends. Rin made the rear light, Serena was between them. In her arms she held a tiny bundle protectively against her, visibly determined that nothing bad happen to it. "Sleeps like an angel." she whispered and gave the little being a small smile before she looked to Ruri. A nod answered her and the dark haired female turned to the path in front of them, took a few steps and stopped. The two fairies behind her were confused but tensed up as a person came from a side passage.

"Lord Atlas. What are you doing here?" Rin asked suprised and eyed the tall man who was carrying his son in his arms. "I've heard your conversation with the king and the queen." he answered and nudged the boy lightly to wake him up. Yugo yawned and blinked when returning from the dream land. "What's up, Papa?" The blonde carefully put him on his feet. "It is time, my son. Do you remember what I told you?" The blue haired male blinked even more. Then he looked to the fairies. "Think so, Papa. I have to go with the aunties there." he said and turned to his father. He nodded. "Exactly. And be there for the prince. He will need you. As a friend, comrade and protector."

Yugo nodded even if he rather wanted to sleep now. "I will, Papa." He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Good night." With this words he padded to Rin and leaned against her, closing his eyes. The fairy lifted him up and pressed him gently to herself. "Are you sure? Many years will pass until he will return." Ruri wanted to know. "An additional pair of eyes that will watch the prince can't be wrong. Yugo is a little bundle of energy but I know that he won't disappoint me." the man answered. 

Behind him Lady Atlas joined them from the corridor, something in her hands. "This is for Yugo. So he can understand why we aren't with him and that he knows that we love him." she said quietly and gave Ruri a letter. The long haired one gave the document into the pocket of her skirt. "He will receive it, I promise you." 

"Take care of yourself." Lord Atlas put his arm around his wife's shoulders who was nearly crying when the fairies continued on their way, disappearing with the two children into the dark of the night.

And so the years passed...


	2. The 16th Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back again ^^
> 
> It's really great that someone gives this fanfic a chance, so Thank You~
> 
> Next, officially planned chapter (no matter if "Little Sleeping Beauty" or something else) comes in May
> 
> Bye~

Slowly the sun found a way through the dense foliage of the forest until it reached the house, located hiden deep between the trees at a rivulet. A mill wheel was appropriate at one of the walls and turned with the movement of the water. It had two floors, one ground floor and one upper floor. A small garden was in front of it with some small vegetable beds and dozens of colorful flowers which stood out form the lush green.

Serena put a paprika into the basket next to her, then she raised and wiped her hands clean on her apron. At the beginning it had been uncertain if she could be successful with cultivating vegetables without magic but she was wrong. It made her proud that the fruits prospered so well. With the basket in her hands she returned to the house and found Ruri and Rin doing their morning works. "How does it look?" Latter asked and gazed up from the garment she was just mending. "Some of them are already ready but the rest just need time." The blue haired one looked around. "The boys are still sleeping?" 

"Yes. But it's time that they get up, there's a lot to do." The dark violet haired female gave her friend a meaningful gaze.

"Could I do that?" Rin whined who was struggling with a loaf of bread. Nearly 16 years ago they moved into the small building and since then she hadn't made it to cut well during cooking, baking or the general handling of kitchen utensils. Ruri and especially Serena had it easier then her so she entrusted the two of them with the tasks as often as it can be. At the other side she was the best if the topic was about repairs at the house and within it. "Well, then give it to me." Her friend hold out her hand and she gave her the knife. "Thank you, Serena, thank you very, very much!" Relief spread on the face of the green haired one and she scurried up the stairs.

"And again you have prevent her from choping off her hand." Ruri smiled. "Well, blood doesn't taste so good for breakfast. And you know what day it is today. So we should avoid mistakes, even more than before." the other one said and started to work. "Sh." The longhaired woman hold her index finger in front of her lips. "A little bit."

In the meantime Rin knocked at one of the doors in the second floor. "Yugo! Come on, wake up, sleepy head!" she called and entered the small room eventually, when there was no answer. An eyebrow raised and she put her hands on her hips when she saw the boy who half hanging out of the bed, the pillow at the foot of the furniture and the blanket wound around his legs. He was grinning while sleeping. "Yugo!" she said louder. Incomprehensible mumbling was the answer. "YUGO!" 

"...Just five minutes..." The green haired female rolled her eyes and turned around knocking at the opposite door. "Good morning!" she called a little louder in order to get the blue haired male in the other room out of his dreamland. "It is time to get up, so out of the-"

The woman interrupted herself when she entered the room and found it empty. From the resident there was nothing to see. The bed was made and fresh morning air came through the open window. "YUYA!!!" she screeched in panic whereupon everything was dropped in the basement. At the same moment a loud THUMP sounded behind her when Yugo fell out of the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything alright?"

"Where is he?"

"I'm here, guys!"

Four heads gathered in the room and their corresponding pairs of eyes wandered to the window where they found the fifth resident of the house. Big, red eyes under red and green strands of hair returned the looks of the others in puzzlement. The women took relieved breaths. "THERE you are! Phew, don't scare us like that!" 

"I'm sorry, aunt Rin." A sheepish smile laid on the boy's lips who climbed in from the roof and scratched embarrassed the back of his head. He was a little bit smaller than Yugo and daintier, dressed in dark, tight pants and a bright shirt.

"Alright." She couldn't be mad at him. "Since everyone is awake now, we can go now and eat breakfast." Ruri said clapping her hands. "Can I still get five minutes?" the older one of the two boys asked and yawned again. Since the sudden emergency wasn't one after all, he wanted to take a little nap. "No or there will be no breakfast for you. So change your clothes and come down." Serena replied and marched down at first. Yugo grumbled something but did as ordered while Yuya went to the basement with Ruri and Rin as well.

After the meal Rin brought out two baskets. "So boys. Work~" she singsang. The faces of their proteges were worth gold at that moment, they looked so perplexed. "Which work?" Yuya took one of the portable containers. "Well, we want you to go into the forest. We need beeries, nuts, you know already. And we need as much as possible again." The younger male frowned. "Didn't we collect a lot some time ago?" he asked and tilted his head slightly. "You can't have enough." the green haired one replied and smirked.

"Okay." He accepted the answer. In addition, the forest was a beautiful place. Yuya liked to move around between the trees and together with Yugo he always had a lot of fun when they were playing in the undergrowth or discovered what the fauna and flora of their home provide them with. "The whole basket?" 

"If it is possible, of course." The second wicker basket was pushed into Yugo's arms before the two teenagers were guided to the entrance. "But don't rush yourself, you hear? Otherwise there will be an accident again, like the last time." Ruri said and considered the blue haired male with a worried gaze. "So no race."

"Don't worry, we won't do that."

"Then have fun."

Serena held the door open for the duo. When Yugo wanted to follow Yuya, she held him lightly back by the arm. "Don't let him out of your sight!" she whispered insistent to him. "Of course not!" he answered and rolled his light blue soul mirrors. The blue haired female nodded, then she let go of him so that he could go after the younger one. He stopped, when he noticed that the older one didn't come after him, and turned around. "Everything alright?" he asked the moment Yugo was with him. "Yeah, don't worry about it." The expression of his best friend brightened again and together they disappeared into the forest.

The women looked after them until they couldn't see them, then they closed the door in a flash. "Phew, now they finally left." Rin looked to her friends. "Do you think that they suspect something?" Serena snorted. "Yugo for sure. After all we told him everything from the very beginning and he knows which day is today." she replied. "To be honest... I didn't thought that it would come this fast." Ruri said and suddenly, she seemed sad. Her friends paused and thought back to the last years.

Nearly 16 years. This long they already lived in the small cottage. In these times they had experienced wonderful moments while they raised king Zarcs only child and Lord Atlas' son together, hiding the two of them away from the gaze of the evil fairy Yuzu. They had explained everything to Yugo very early when he finally could understand that it wasn't a dream in which his father asked of him to accompany the fairies to watch out for the prince. Before that... it hadn't been easy, especially with a baby who needed their attention and care as well.

Yuya himself had became the fun-loving beauty they knew he would be. However, in contrast to Yugo he had no idea who he was, who his parents were or that he was promised to king Shuns son. No one of the fairies had known how he would react, that's why they had decided unanimously that he should learn about his true identitiy at his 16th birthday which had began some hours ago.

"I just can agree." Rin muttered and turned her face away so that the other two can't see that some tears ran down her cheeks. But not fast enough and so Ruri and Serena closed their arms around her. "Time has passed way too fast... And from tomorrow on, they won't be our little bundles of energy but His Highness, the prince, and Lord Atlas' son." Latter whispered.

"Hmm..." Ruri sighed eventually and pulled away from her friends. "Come on, girls." She wiped over her wet cheeks. "We still have some hours, so let's make the best out of it. Don't forget, it's Yuyas birthday today and I think that it should be a celebration he mustn't forget. It will be the last time we're celebrating here."

The green haired female nodded slightly. "You're right. Let's hurry or they will be back before we are finish." Serena took a deep breath to catch herself a little bit. "I'm going to bake something." she suggested. "And I'm going to sew. I've prepared something small and I'm sure that I will finish the things for both before they return." Ruri explained with a small smile. Sie didn't want to give something as a present to the younger male only but to the older one as a memory for the years they spent together. The third in the group looked from one to the other. "And what do I do?" she wanted to know. There was silence for a moment. "Well, actually the house needs to be cleaned." Rin moaned but she didn't had another choice.

~~~

"I don't know but somehow I have the feeling that the aunts are acting strangely." Yugo raised his head. "How far?" he wanted to know and looked to Yuya who kneeled in front of a shrub with blackberries and held one of the fruits in his hand. The boy's face twisted and he put his find into the basket next to him. "I don't know. It's just a feeling. Like some years ago, when aunt Rin wanted to bake a cake and then it became this... something." The blue haired male made a noise like he was vomitting. "Don't remind me!" The day in question wasn't forgotten already and both were relieved that the other women took over the cooking.

Yuya giggled and stood up, taking the basket. "Wasn't my purpose." he answered even if it was funny at that time watching how the older one, very hungry after an eventful day which they spend with aunt Ruri and aunt Serena at the forest lake, rushed to the result of another, unsuccessful baking attempt, thinking, that their aunt did it like the other women and tried something new. Sadly, he had forgotten that Rin wasn't this talented in kitchen and the result had been that he had run like there was a pack of wolves running after him.

Yugo made a face for some moments at the memory while he followed Yuya further into the forest. "What was actually going on that you're awake this early?" he wanted to know after a while. "And not in the room when aunt Rin came to wake you up." The younger male blushed before a soft, dreamy smile appeared on his lips. "I dreamed about him again." he confessed and seemed suddenly to be somewhere else. "It was wonderful but I woke up in the middle of the dream." He wasn't happy about this circumstance. "I've dreamed about him so many times already that I'm asking myself if he really exists. Each time I see him it is so... so intensive as if he is real. As if he isn't an image of my dreams."

His companion's face twisted. Since he knew who they both were and what was waiting for them in the future, he had no idea how he should react that his prince was more than obviously in love with a man he only knew from his dream while he was engaged to prince Yuto at the same time. However, Yugo didn't know about this engagement either what he should think about it. Yuya didn't know the older noble, only met him once when he was just an infant like aunt Ruri told the blue haired male. He was worried how the younger one would react to future disappointments.

~~~

It was quiet, so quiet that you could hear the noise of her shoe soles in the farthest corner of the hall. "Let me summarize again. You have looked into every house, into every room of the kingdom... and you've found NOTHING?" Yuzu wanted to know while weird beings, who were reaching up to her hip, were gathered around her. A visible scrawny part of them had wing-like limbs instead of hands and beaks in the faces, the other part was smaller and a lot thicker, in their faces pig snouts and the hands corresponding paws.

One of the pig beings stood near its mistress and nodded. "Yeah, the houses, the rooms and into the cradles as well." it confirmed. The pink haired female, with the back to the being, stopped. "Pardon?" she asked and turned her head to look at it. "Yeah, the cradles as well." it answered and held its arms like it was holding a baby. On Yuzus face appeared a smile and she began to laugh. "Oh, is that it?" she managed to say. Leo and Roger looked at each other then they fluttered behind the stone throne, in front of which their mistress stopped. Her subordinates joined in the laugher, cackling and grunting echoing through the room.

"SILENCE!!! YOU FAILURES!!!" the evil fairy suddenly screamed and at the same moment pink thunderbolts smashed in around her. The beings ran away frightened and screamed in pain when flames followed until none of them was to be seen. Yuzu took a deep breath multipe times and let herself fall on her seat on the throne. "I can't believe that these IDIOTS... ARGH!!!" She banged her fist on a rest before she breathed again. "Searching 16 years for a BABY! How STUPID can you be?!"

A noise made her looking to the side. Her crows hopped out of their hidding spot and she reached out her arm. "I can always rely on you both, Leo, Roger." Yuzu stroke their plumage before she stood up. "Fly, my two darlings, and find him. Find this boy, 16 years old, kind and with a voice sweeter than the most beautiful birdsong." she insistently said and the animals rose into the air, fluttering away. Yuzu watched them, a malicious sparkle in her blue eyes. Maybe she should have thought about her birds right away that they took care of the task. They gave her more hope than the rest of her minions. Not long until prince Yuyas life belonged to her.

~~~

It was a short and almost boring fight. Probably because his enemy didn't really showed any resistance. That's why it took just some seconds until it cracked and a heavy object flew to the ground and rolled over the dust of the inner courtyard until it stopped. A few seconds it was quiet, then clapping reached the ears of the young swordman who straightened up from his slightly stopped posture and stuck the weapon in his right hand in the scabbard with a fluid motion. "Well done. I believe, this is a new record today." the violet haired man said coming with slow steps to the other one. His eyes sparkled gleefully while he was regarded the round ball with painted face and pink wollen strands laying in the dirt.

"It was predictable. This puppet was already so demolished that it was only a question of time until it definitively breaks. With a really sharp sword it would have need only one blow and it would fall apart." prince Yuto explained and handed the sword belt over to the armorer who'd waited silent at the edge of the area which had provided by king Shun for the training of his son and his nephew. With a short bow he marched to a door, behind which the armory of the castle was, to stow the preserved object away. It was obvious that the black haired male wouldn't continue his exercises.

"Hmm~ And another doll copy of Yuzu that blesses the temporal." the one opposite of him sneered with a cocky smile. Not that it really mattered. They were training materials that would end as firewood in the chimneys or the nearby blacksmiths as soon as they had served their purpose. Yutos father had thought about not letting the duo forget why they had began with hard workout in young years, that they should think, thanks to whom the future looked so uncertain. To prevent the fairy of evil from targeting the kingdom as well, the things had to put away so that nobody could find them easily and broken dolls had to be destroyed instantly.

Yuto only shrugged. It didn't bother him. "Better as if one of the soldiers ends in the hospital wing again." he replied and shot his cousin a meaningful look of which he wasn't impressed. "It's not my fault if they are so weak." Yuri only said and pulled out one of his throwing knifes which he flinged in a direction. The blade penetrated some centimeters deep into a wooden wall with a cloth with a picture stretched over it. "Now you're showing off." the other one said while a soldier, who should take the cloth away, stood like frozen there and stared at the knife directly in front of his nose with widened eyes and pale face.

"No, I'm just making sure that I don't get out of practice." The prince rolled his eyes when the man started to move slowly and carried out his task with retracted head. "And then you're surprised that nobody wants to train with you?" he asked and got a shrug as an answer. Yuri didn't care about the fact that his training partners fled the moment they heard that they had to work with him.

"Do you have some plans today?" he wanted to know when they left the place. The soldiers crossing their path saluted curtly and a group of maids with baskets full of laundry in their hands kneeled in front of the two before hurrying on while giggling. Yuto ignored their longing looks which bored into his back. "Beside visiting king Zarc with you and father? No." he answered and sounded a bit annoyed. In the last days Shun made sure that his son remembered which important event was coming up and accordingly to that Yuto couldn't hear that he would "finally" meet the person he was engaged with for years, the child of the other king. He didn't know the boy and 16 years were a long time, in which a lot could happen and a lot was forgotten.

"How about a ride before you have to get going with your father?" Yuri suggested. It wasn't a long way to the castle of king Zarc and his wife so that a short trip was possible. "Just let me change, then we can saddle Dark Rebellion and Starve Venom and ride off." the prince answered and brushed through his hair. "Good, then hurry." Yuto just nodded and marched directly to his chamber where he removed his sweaty shirt and put on another freshly washed. Before he left the room, which he inhabited, he tied the red scarf around his upper arm which he wore for a couple of years. It was a memory for a promise which he gave someone in the past but he just couldn't remember to whom or what he had promised that person. In addition came a black cloak.

Although his clothes were dark and his appearance was correspondingly gloomy, there were a lot of female servants who apparently found this very attractive because on the way to the stable he heard a few maids sighing heartful. He ignored it knowingly. For some reason he wasn't interested. With calm steps he entered the stall and spotted his cousin standing in one of the boxes next to a brown horse which already carried a green saddle on his back. At the other side of the room there was a black stallion raising his head at Yutos appearance and snorting loud.

The prince stroked over the nostrils of the animal. "Ready for a little bit of exercise?" he asked and got another snort. The seat was prepared by the stable boy, though Dark Rebellion was extremely stubborn like Yuris horse Starve Venom and he let himself touch by only one person, his owner. The violet haired male already sat on the back of his own mount when Yuto sat up. Together they rode off until they were out of the castle. A grin was at the face of his cousin. "How about a race?"

~~~

Yugo cursed. Both mentally and loudly. As much as he liked going with Yuya into the forest, he couldn't wait to return to the house. The reason were several small, brown animals with bushy tails which had fled on the branches of a few trees and were now taking care of their hard prey they held in their paws, squeaking. "Damn squirrels! Why are they always after me?!" he mumbled and shot them a dark look they didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, they didn't refrain from nibbling on the nuts they had stolen from his basket.

The blue haired male grumbled something incomprehensible and turned away. Also because it actually wasn't new to him. The animals of the forest loved to tease him. They mostly did it so that they could distract him and claim Yuya for themselves for a few hours. They liked the younger one very much who even managed to befriend a wolf, outcasted by its pack, which always stuck to his heels as soon as he was in the forest.

Other forest dwellers didn't need to worry because in the presence of the prince the wolf was tender like a lamb. Yugo had found the group mutiple times in a state of absolut peace: Yuya leaning against a tree or a big stone, the head of the predator with closed eyes laying on his lap, the big white-grey body stretched out and breathing relaxed while some birds, mice and one or two rabbits cuddling into the shaggy fur and listening to the singing of the human boy.

Therefore, it wasn't a surprise to him that the birthday child wasn't to be seen. Probably he was a few meters away with his animal companions. When Yugo thought about searching for them, he noticed something else. "Now these beasts are getting really unpopular." he growled and looked at the basket hidden unter a bush. The young man didn't need to get it to know that part of the mushrooms and nuts he had found earlier wouldn't be in there. Mind you, that wasn't new for him too.

Stroking through his blond bangs he leaned down and pulled the container from under the shrub. "At least I didn't need to collect completely from the beginning... Or Yuyas pet collection will be a little bit smaller, no matter if he's happy about it or not." he said and ignored the fact that he was just talking with himself.

Yugo decided to look for some mushrooms before he would follow his protege again. Here in the deep forest they were safe and never before anyone had strayed so far into the thicket, so that he didn't worry about somebody finding the hidden prince. Of course, the fairies thought different. They thought about it each time when the two boys left the little house. The blue haired male felt that this was a little over the top, also because he knew that the younger one was surrounded by dozen pairs of eyes even if he wasn't with him.

The young noble didn't pay attention how far he had come in his search when he suddenly heard a rustling. It was so quiet expect for the singing of the birds that he immediately noticed the noise. Observantly, he looked around and ducked behind a tree trunk. Even if he was a hot head who had done a lot of nonsense, he had a pronounced instinct for situations where he had to be cautious.

Light blue eyes looked around closely, considered what's around him in detail. Yugo was on the edge of a tiny clearing, just a few meters wide, and so he spotted the unusually strongly moving shrubs fast as if a deer had been caught in the thin twigs and was fighting with all its might to free itself. Or Yuya at the age of seven years when they played hide-and-seek and he just had to choose a bush to hide himself from aunt Serena who had played with them...

Maybe it was the boy, Yugo thought and decided to creep up to him and surprise him with whatever he was going to do. At any rate, he wasn't noticed when he came closer and in the end threw himself into the bushes. "Got you!" the blue haired male called feeling a human body which he dragged with him. A startled cry was the answer but when he sat up with a victorious smirk and looked at the other, the muscles in his face froze.

The man beneath him wasn't his little protege. The first shock disappeared from the pink soul mirrors and anger took its place while leaves and twigs stuck in his hair. "Get down, you jackass!" the unknown male hissed at him. Yugo was so perplexed at the first moment that he didn't react at the demand. "Who the hell are you? And how did you get here?" he wanted to know. "I said GET DOWN, banana skull!!"

He yelped when the other one shoved him away. "Ow! Stupid cabbage head!" A dark glare was thrown in his direction while the male opposite of him straightened and knocked the earth off. "Don't get cocky! Do you have any idea who you have in front of you?" the man snapped and let his fingers wander through his pink-violet hair. "No and I'm not interested too, bunny ear!" Yugo countered and stood up.

"Bunny ear?!" the stranger repeated visibly insulted and glared at him as if he wanted to punch him. "Well, with this hair." At the confused raised eyebrow the young noble raised his index fingers to his forehead, wiggling them slightly. "Have you looked into a mirror? You look like a cabbage head with rabbit ears."

Silence was the answer when the guy stared at him with widened eyes until the unknown one started laughing out of the blue. Yugo made a jump at the noise, since he hadn't expected that. It took a while until he calmed down again. A wide grin, behind which something more dangerous lurked, spread on his face and with slow steps he came over to him. The blue haired male backed away, a feeling in his stomach as if he just had became the prey of an especially dangerous predator.

A massive log stopped his flight and the violet haired one immediately catched up when he saw how suprised Yugo was about this circumstance. His hands laid themselves left and right of the head of the young man on the crust so that he was captured between his arms. "You're really cocky. I can't remember to meet someone like you before." Their faces were so near to each other that Yugo blushed. "I think my cousin will have to wait for a little longer before I'm going to look for him." the man opposite of him muttered. This words were enough that the blue haired one paled. 

Someone else was here too?! Oh no, Yuya!

~~~

They had separated so that they could cover a larger area in their search. It had made it to a forest while the other had some villages in its field of vision. Their target had to be somewhere. Their mistress was counting on them. Its gaze glided over the treetops when something permeated to its ears. Straightway it descented and sank into the green of the leaves and needles until it reached a little lake. Hidden between the branches it spotted a human child sitting on a root which reached over the crystal clear water.

He was young and surrounded by a group of forest animals which all listen reverent to his singing, even the birds which was moving with the melody and the beaks held closed to not disturb the song. Even a wolf laid between the root of the tree, its head on its paws and completely relaxed. The scene was suspicious and it decided no to take its eyes off the boy.

~~~

"Why do I have the feeling that Yuri was distracted by something somewhere?" Yuto rolled his eyes when he stopped Dark Rebellion and couldn't see his cousin anywhere. They never made it this far into the forest before and that's why it was possible that the other one had interrupted their trip to take a closer look at the surroundings. The black haired male got off the back of his horse and grabbed the reins. "Well, let's look where he got lost." he suggested and pulled slightly at them.

The stallion followed him, however, it stopped after a few meters after hearing something. Yuto paused when he noticed that his mount was looking somewhere else. "What's wrong, boy?" Dark Rebellion snorted pointing his head into a direction. The prince frowned and start off into that direction showed to him. He was silent to find out what his companion noticed at first.

It didn't took long until he could perceive it as well. "What is that?" Dark Rebellion trailed behind his owner to the shore of a little lake. On a root reaching over the blue wet the black haired male discovered the source of the singing which had lured him to this place. Surrounded by forest animals, even a wolf, and with his back to Yuto, there was a boy sitting above the water. He turned a little bit to raise his hand to a low-laying branch so that the sparrow on his index finger could switch its seat.

The prince stayed like spellbound, unable to take off his eyes. The other one was beautiful and he was sure that he surely would remember if he had seen him before. Slowly the song of the boy, which was about a couple that had already met thousand times in a dream and where a part of it hoped to meet the other in reality, came to an end and when the last tones faded, he sighed.

Yuto couldn't hold back anymore. "That was really beautiful." he said and due to his words the group in front of him was startled. The animals split up, the wolf jumped and disappeared with rabbits and mice into the undergrowth while the birds flew up into the treetops. The boy however slipped from the root and fell into the water with a cry.

With quick steps the black haired male was at the spot and stretched his hand out to the smaller one, pulling him out of the lake. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you." he apologized. "Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" Attentively he looked at him but he couldn't see anything. "Don't worry, nothing happened to me." a voice answered which he would associate with an angel and the red and green mop of hair raised. Water dripped from the wet bangs into the soaked clothes.

Yuto didn't recognize that the animals slowly peeked out of their hideouts. The eyes of the boy looking like sparkling rubies were holding him. He thought of having a deja vu but he wasn't sure. His hand raised up, without him being aware of moving it, and brushed green hair to the side. The skin beneath his fingers was smooth like silk. The one opposite of him blushed before shivering slightly. The prince was pulled out of his consideration by that. "Forgive me." he said hastily and laid his cloak around the younger male, drawing him to himself and rubbing his upper arms to warm him up again.

"T-Thank you." The blush on the cheeks of the other became more intensive but he didn't back off but leaned against him. Again he raised his eyes and looked at the older one. One more time, Yuto was like captured by the juwels, through which the other male could see the world around himself. Hesitantly, his hand lifted up and touched his temple with its fingertips. "Is this... a dream or reality?" he asked softly, so close to each other, that their noses were separated by a few centimeters.

"If it is a dream, then I have to dream as well." Yuto answered without letting him go. "Why?" 

"Because every time I see you I've dreamed. Und every time I awoke I'm asking myself if you're real or not." The boy stopped and blushed even more than he was already. Visibly embarrassed he looked to the side. The black haired male smiled. Gently, he lifted the chin of the smaller one up. "So, after thousand times in a dream finally the first time in real, like in the song. I like that."

The boy blinked, then he smiled at him brightly. Yuto had never believed in love at first sight before but in this moment he changed his opinion. He couldn't and didn't want to imagine how his live would go on without this one boy. It seemed as if only them existed. Even his engagement wasn't important anymore.

He wanted to be near him, intuitively wanted to know how soft this lips were but a growl made him freeze. The duo blinked and looked down. The wolf had come out of his hiding spot and stood at the side of the little one snarling at the prince. Dark Rebellion trotted to them and snorted at the other animal. 

"Silver Claw, calm down." 

"Dark Rebellion, enough!" Neither the wolf nor the horse looked like they wanted to give in. The former one pressed itself between the two humans and pushed the younger one away.

"I think I should be on my way again. So that Silver Claw can calm down again. He isn't used to other humans." the little one said, his face scarlet, taking the cloak off and giving it back before he grabbed a basket standing at a root and got ready to leave. He didn't make it far. Yutos fingers closed themselves around his wrist and held him back.

"Wait! Your name. What is your name so that I can find you again?" The two rubies widened and uncertainty was displayed within them. "I-I... I c-can't..." he muttered. These words irritated the older one, nonetheless he didn't give up. "So... this should really be our only meeting in reality?" He saw that the one opposite of him didn't like this idea. 

"I don't want that too but... I really can't..." For a moment the boy looked thoughtful before his face brightened. "Today at sunset, at my home." 

"Where? Where can I find you?" He didn't want to let him go. "In the forest valley, in the old cottage. It has a millwheel at its side and a creek flows over there too." The corners of his mouth raised up. "I'll be there, promise." 

"I'm looking forward to it." Yuto looked after him until he disappeared between the trees.

~~~

"Girls, it won't work like that." You could count on one hand how often the three faires were frustrated at the same time like at this moment. Even Ruri, who threw a half-finished shirt into a corner and glared at it unsatisfied, although she was usually the one whose patience didn't break so fast. Rin regarded the decoration with a poisonous gaze and Serena poked the result of her baking skills.

Actually, everything didn't looked this bad. The cake looked good, it was pretty clean, the decoration was nice and the clothes weren't so bad. But it wasn't simply what they had imagined. It shouldn't be only a birthday party, they wanted to express too that the two boys were equally something special despite their true position which they would soon take again, that all this years were great despite of ups and downs and that the women felt it as a great honor living together with these two wonderful, young people. But what had come out so far, was in contrast to their imagination... very modest.

"Okay, I have enough!" Rin's hands nearly crumpled the fabric of her skirt, so hard her fingers clawed at it when she jumped up and rushed up the stairs. Serena sighed and turned away from her creation. "I think we've planned too much." she said downcast. "Or we organized everything wrong. That's what I believe..." mumbled Ruri. "What should we do now?" 

"You know that as well as I do!" The green haired female had returned as fast as she had disappeared before. She held the wands in her hands.

The violet haired one stood up with a sigh. "Rin..." Her fingers closed around the rods and at that moment she became aware how much she had missed it to use the magic item. Behind her Serena whispered her name into the tense atmosphere. Magenta red eyes wandered to the objects of their common frustration and her lips pressed themselves into a thin line.

"Lock doors and windows!" she ordered. "Und every little crack. We can't reveal ourselves at any cost." Rin shouted happily and even the blue haired female smiled before they set out in a hurry to follow the order. It became pitch-dark in the ground floor of the house and Ruri brandished her wand so that they could see at least a little bit. "Alright, everything from the beginning." she said when the other two fairies had their rods in their hands. 

"Do I have to clean everything again?" 

"Well there are still some dust spots..."

~~~

"Is everything alright?" Since Silver Claw had brought him back to Yugo, it wasn't possible to ignore that the older one wasn't in a good mood. In his own words it wasn't because some squirrels had annoyed him but Yuya hadn't got an answer. "Yeah, everything okay." The other one brushed through his hair when they reached the plot of land where they lived. "So, beside that the aunts shouldn't learn of us moving around separately, what's going on with you? You're really in high spirits. Even more than usually."

At this words, the younger one begann to smile brightly, a very happy smile in his face that even overshadowed the sun. "It was... an incredible great day. Really beautiful! As if..." A giggle escaped him. "As if a dream had become true." Yugo stared at him as if he had grown a second head while the smile became dreamy. "A dream had become true? What the-?! Hey, wait for me!" His companion had to hurry to keep up with him. "What do you mean-"

"Surprise!!"

The dripple exclamation of the women drew the attention of the two boys to the scene in front of them hardly that Yuya had opened the door. The duo spinned around and was greeted by three delighted smiling fairies. The living space, which occupied the whole ground floor, had changed completely in the last hours. It looked like in the home of a high-ranking noble with rose bouquets on the table and a classy-looking cake between them.

Two mannequins stood at one of the wall, each with a pair of boots in front of them. The shirts were one in white, the other in light blue. The pants were in white, one of the jackets in red, the other in blue matching the shirt. From the shoulders of the first hung a white cape, from the second a dark blue. The outfit in red and white had golden glittering ornaments, the other one silver.

Yuya squealed with joy at the surprise while the women surrounded him and wished him Happy Birthday. Yugo on the other hand paled. The sight of the noble garments remembered him about what else was waiting for them. Serena noticed his expression and frowned. Ruri on the other hand pulled the youngest in the room to the mannequins. "This here is our present for you." she said and pointed to the red and white ensemble. "The other one is for Yugo. Today isn't only your birthday but a special day for you two as well."

"That's beautiful. I'm curious what he will say to it. He will certainly like it too." The expressions of the fairies froze. "He? Who do you mean, Yuya?" the long haired one wanted to know and tried to looked fewer shocked. She hardly succeeded. The boy smiled happily and dreamy. "You know, I've met him thousand times in my dreams and today we finally saw each other in reality." he answered and flinched when Rin grabbed Yugo and shook him. "How could that happen?! We've told you mehr than often to not let him out of your sight!" she scolded.

Yuya jumped between the two before the blue haired was maybe strangled as enraged as the woman was. "It isn't his fault!" Serena pulled him back by his shoulders. "Actually, it was his duty to protect you from the very beginning. For that he has to be with you." she explained. Confusion was in the two rubies. "Why? I don't understand." 

"Yuya." Ruri drew his attention to herself. "It is time that we tell you the truth." she began. "You were born 16 years ago as the only child of king Zarc and queen Ray. We've brought you here for your own safety and raised you. Tonight is the time to bring you back home to the castle where your fiancé, prince Yuto, awaits you too."

The younger male almost dropped his jaw then he shook his head. "This can't be! Does that mean I'm a prince? Und even engaged?! Wait, TONIGHT?!" He looked at them shocked. "That won't do! He comes here! He's promised that he will be here by sunset. And besides, I don't even know this prince Yuto! Why should I marry someone I neither know nor love?!"

Rin raised her hands in a calming gesture. "We know that this is a lot at once, Yuya... Your Highness. You still have some time to be aware that even decisions had to made which seemed to be unpleasant at the first moment." she said.

The prince's face was filled with bewilderment and pain. Never before the women had spoken this distantly to him. "I can't believe t-this!" Helplessly he looked to the older male. "Yugo! Just say something!"

The blue haired one flinched and then he looked at the ground. "I am sorry, Yu-... Your Highness. They're telling the truth." He didn't need to look in the face of the younger one to know he became aware that he was lied to his whole life. How his world, which he knew since childhood, shattered before his own eyes. Yuya backed away from the women and Yugo. "That's not possible..." he whispered while tears gathered in his soul mirrors.

"It may be hard for you at the first moment, we can understand, Your Highness. But you're having a lot of responsibility in your position affecting your whole nation." Ruri said. "That's why you have to forget this man. You won't see him ever again." In her eyes laid sympathy and she forsaw at the sight in front of her what would follow now. "I don't want to!!! You can't be serious!!!" Yuya turned around, crystal clear tears running over his cheeks, and stormed up the stairs. He tore the door to his room open and slammed it shut behind him before throwing himself on his bed and crying bitterly. Initial joy had given away to pain and grief.

No one noticed the crow who had looked in at the half-open door. It opened its beak again and again but there was no sound coming from it while it greedily absorbed all the information reaching its ears. When the boy escaped to the upper floor, the bird backed up and raised into the air. His mistress would be very happy to hear that prince Yuya had been found.

~~~

He still felt the anger in his stomach that this boy who he met in the forest just ran away. Without leaving his name or telling the reason for his getaway. Yuri didn't know why, but it bothered him enormously. Yuto hadn't been found too, therefore he had made his way back home. The violet haired male didn't worried about the safety of his cousin. The other one wasn't easily beaten, even without weapons, and with a sword in hand only a few persons could keep up with the black haired male.

"I think I misunderstood you! You want to marry the child of a farmer?! And what about the engagement with prince Yuya? Because of... How was it? 'Thousand times in a dream and finally in reality'?!" Yuri stopped and looked around. He was standing in front of Shun's office, out of where the shocked voice of the king could be heard.

"I'm very serious, father. I've never see someone like him. I am sorry that I disappoint you and I'm going to apologize in full to prince Yuya and king Zarc. I'm sure that the prince will understand that it's better if he marries someone who's worthy of him and not someone he doesn't know and who doesn't love him." That was Yuto's voice, full of determination. His cousin softly approached, not to miss a single word.

"Yuto, think about it again! You really can't be serious that you of all..." Shun sounded very disbelieving in the face of the news he recieved. "Father, this boy is everything I want. There was anything or anyone before I ever desired so much. Please excuse me now." Footsteps approached and the door was opened. The prince came out of the room, gave the violet haired male a short look and then marched away without turning back. "How should I explain this to Zarc?" Yuri heard his uncle mumbling.

~~~

The sun sank lower and lower when the small group reached the castle and entered through a side door. Ruri and Rin flew at the top and controlled if the corridors in front of them were empty or not while Serena was the backmarker. Between them Yugo and Yuya were located, hidden beneath night black cloaks. The older male glanced to the prince, worrying.

Since his collapse in the cottage he hadn't said one single word. Yugo had heard him crying for a while behind the door until the boy finally fell silent. Now, he was quiet and hadn't afford any resistance when the dark haired female brought the red and white clothing so that he could change.

Without being seen by servants or soldiers they reached a double door. The fairies, now in their actual clothes again, opened one and indicated both to go through quickly. Better said Yugo, because Yuya didn't look up, hadn't done it the whole way. Rin's and Serena's gazes attentively wandered in both directions, then they closed the door behind them.

The blue haired male looked around and leaned against the wall, the hood off his head. The chamber was furnished impressively and it was obvious that king Zarc took a lot of time to think about what his son could need as soon as his new life began. In the meantime, Ruri lead the younger one to a corner of the room and let him take a seat on a chair, directly in front of a small desk with a mirror.

"So here we are." She smiled optimistically while she pulled the fabric off the red and green hair. The other two women came to them, a smile in their faces as well. Yugo stayed in the background. "As a farewell we have a little present." Sparkles flew out of the raised wands and formed themselves to a piece of jewelry. The golden circlet was worked very fine with a blue crystal in the middle without appearing too feminine.

"This crown is the symbol of your status and your birth right. It always belonged to you." Serena said. Carefully Rin placed the jewel on Yuya's head. "Suits perfectly." she chirped delighted. Slowly the prince raised his gaze so that he could view himself in the mirror. Yugo could see in his eyes how he continued to break inside. The jewel was the lock of a golden cage for him in which he was now captured. A lock without a key with which he could free himself.

It took a moment, then he sank forward and hid his face in his arms. His shoulders shook under his sobs. The fairies glanced at each other with sad looks before guiding Yugo outside to give Yuya some free space. Ruri closed the door. "Poor one." 

"That's definitely because of this man from the forest." the green haired said. "Wrong! That's not it." The trio looked up, directly into the light blue oceans of the nobles son, who was glaring at them. "It's this nonsense that he necessarily has to be here to do something he doesn't want to do at all. That he's forced to marry this Yuto-guy. This system is the problem!"

The blue haired fairy raised an eyebrow. "Yugo, you as his friend knew from the very beginning that this is his destiny." 

"Friend? Oh yeah, I'm a great friend. If I'm really such a good friend then I would have supported him way better. I'm neither that nor a protector like my father wanted me to be. I left him alone when he needed me, when I should have protect him against you!" The young man had had enough time to think and now he was angry.

At himself, at the fairies, at this prince, at Zarc and his decision to let Yuya wed a stranger. "You don't understand that!" Yugo mumbled, turned around and marched away. The fairies stayed behind. The blue haired male wanted to get some fresh air to calm down when he stopped in the next corridor. He could feel a chill wandering up in his limbs and his instinct screamed like his life was on the line. Something was wrong!

Meanwhile in Yuyas chamber...

The only noises in the room were the princes sobs and the patter of the fire in the stone fireplace. He had never felt this miserable. Everything he had known until now... his whole life laid in shards in front of him. In his chest there was a piercing pain when his thoughts roamed about the young man from the forest. Yuya regreted withholding his name from him. The fairies had always insisted that Yugo and he never tell anyone their names, should the very unwanted event occur that they met someone in the forest. He had wondered but in his naive and child like trust he'd never questioned it. Now, he knew why and it hurt.

His grief about the lost of the love of his life took him completely and so he didn't notice how the fire in the fireplace suddenly burned out. A shadow replaced it, nearly not to be seen in the dark of the fixture, exept for the blue eyes which was directed at the bundle of sorrow. Malicious joy laid in there in the face of the helplessness in front of her nose. She smiled when her spell drifted over the few meters like a cloud of dust.

The prince was defenseless against the magic. His sobs died down and he straightened up again while the shadow became a ball of pale, pink light and the black traveling cloak fell to the ground. The light shone at empty eyes which lost any lights. The boy was wrapped in pink when he proceeded towards the fireplace. The wall behind the sphere of light disappeared and it floated off, into the labyrinth of secret corridors behind it.

At the other side of the wing door voices became loud and someone hit the wood but Yuya didn't react. In this moment he was nothing more than a mindless puppet, a doll which had to act after the will of its owner. He'd nearly disappeared into the darkness when the doors flew open and Yugo and the fairies bursted in.

"There!" Rin yelled and pointed at the fire place. "YUYA!" the blue haired male screamed and stormed to the item of furniture, hoping to reach the younger one in time and pull him back. He was too late. A wall made out of bricks shot up and Yugo collided against it. For a moment he was stunned, then he managed to catch himself and beat with his fist against the stone calling for the other male without getting an answer.

"To the side!" Serena snapped at him and shoved him rudely away. The woman ripped her wand up and sparkles sprayed from the tip, letting the wall disappear. "Hurry! We have to find him, NOW!!" Not that Ruri need to say that. Together they stormed into the tangle of hidden aisles, calling for the boy, splitting up to find him again.

Even if their calls resounded as echoes and were carried on, Yuya wasn't able to react to them. The sphere of light lead him over some stairways to an arrangement of steps which pointed upwards. They ended in front of an archway to a small chamber. The shining object floated to the middle of the little room and turned into something pitch-black which the prince had never seen in his entire life. He wouldn't be able to describe it too. The wheel was the only part that was familiar to him, hadn't he been under the influence of the spell.

Furthermore, it pulled him to another part of the device. It looked spiky and dangerous and the boy hesitated when raising his hand. "Don't be afraid." a voice purred out of nothing. "Touch it." He couldn't do anything against it. Pain pierced into his finger while some voices came from the staircase as well as steps becaming louder when the spell was broken. A smile under grey eyes and black and lavender hair was the last thing Yuya could still see in front of his inner eye before he fell into the darkness.

Somewhere on the stairs they found together again and ran onward without stopping to call for the prince. A weird, pink light gave them a direction, directly at the end of a long stairway. When Yugo and the three fairies arrived at the top and stormed into the chamber, however, they found someone they didn't want to see.

"Yuzu!" Rin gasped. The appearance of the pink haired female was no good sign. "YOU DAMN-!!" Yugo raised a fist and took a few steps towards her but he was thrown back and crashed with his shoulder into a wall. The green haired one was straightway with him and supported him. "Good evening." the enemy fairy chirped. "So we meet again." Serena raised her wand. "I can't believe that you are here."

Yuzus smile became frosty. "Believe it. After all, you believed too that you can trick me. Me, the ruler of evil. You're such fools!" she countered. "Yuzu." Ruri slipped in front of her friend, growing terror on her face. She was scared of something specific. The coldness in the face opposite of her faded. "Where is he?"

"Oh? Do you worry so much about the prince?" Mockery laid on Yuzus lips while she raised her index finger as if she was about to lecture a child. "You don't need that, really~" Her hand wandered to her cloak. "He is right HERE!" With a pull she drew the fabric to herself and revealed the small body hidden beneath it. The shocked yells were like music to her ears. Triumphant laughing escaped her when she disappeared in a flame and left the quartet with her victim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'm on Twitter too: @_LilTomato_


	3. Chapter 3: End of the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3~  
> And with that, my first Arc V-Fanfic is done :)
> 
> It's surely not the best work but I had a lot of fun writing it
> 
> I hope that you like the last chapter too and hope you enjoy it~
> 
> Thanks for reading!

He rubbed his shoulder like it would still hurt after he had collided with the wall but it was nothing more than a gesture showing his own helplessness. Rin had taken good care of the relevant spot when she was able to think clear again. As good as it was possible in this situation. Yugo felt just horrible while he stood at the headboard of the bed and looked at it.

When they calmed down a bit so that they could move again, they had brought Yuya back to his room and laid him on his bed. He looked so peaceful and no one of them had bothered to find out if Yuzu's curse had killed him, like she wanted to when placing it upon him years ago, or if Serena's magic had averted exactly this. No one thought about it, it had been to long, and at the moment they were all sad and depressed.

Ruri had set the crown into the boy's hair. It slipped from his head when he fell to the ground. His hands laid on each other and on his chest. Serena had found a dark, thin blankett which was now laying partly on his feet. She was still standing beside the bed and plucked at it as if she wanted to bring it into a better position in which he wouldn't be restricted and still not feeling cold. Rin was at the window and looked outside.

The sun had set. The moon and dozen of stars had replaced her. Downstairs the people waited for their prince who wouldn't come. As well as king Zarc and queen Ray who wanted to take their son into their arms and couldn't do it. It would break their heart as soon as they would learn of it.

The two fairies went to the green haired one and began to chat with her quietly while they managed with some effort to dry their tears. Yugo didn't listen to them. His attention was on Yuya and he thought back to all the adventures they had experienced together in the forest. These memories seemed to him now like from another life without the horrible events of this day.

"Yugo." The voice of the blue haired female pulled him back to reality. Ruri and Rin weren't to be seen. "Do you stay with him? He shouldn't be alone." He wanted to be angry at the three women, wanted to scream at Serena to give the fury within himself an outlet but he didn't succeed. In his throat there was a lump and so the young noble just nodded. She returned the gesture und flew through the open balcony door.

For a moment he looked after her before he turned again to the younger one. It hurt to know that Yuya was in this condition because of his carelessness and secrecy. He had failed and the smaller male had to pay for it. Yugo laid one hand on the petite shoulder. "I'm sorry. Just... just for everything. I should have been here for you and I wasn't. I left you alone when you had need someone on your side. I'm sorry." he whispered without thinking about Yuya hearing it or not.

The young man didn't ask for forgiveness. Even if the prince were conscious, it would be doubtful in his eyes if he would give it to him. Moreover, Yugo wouldn't ask. He thought that there wasn't any reason for the other one to forgive him. "I'll go tell your father. He and your mother had been waiting for you so long and they deserve the truth." he continued and marched to the door. Briefly he turned his head again to look to the bed, then the nobles son left the room and closed quietly the door.

Silently he set off. Yugo had no idea where king Zarc was really situated but he conjectured that the man had to be somewhere in the lower floors, probably in the throne room where he was waiting with his subordinates. How should he best tell him? The older male would be devasted when learning what happened to Yuya.

The blue haired male was so busy with his thoughts that he didn't watch out where he was going. And so it happened that he, hardly that he turned a corner, crashed into someone else and fell to the ground. 

"Ow! Watch it!" 

"That's what I as well- Well look, who we've got here."

Yugo jerked his head up and found himself face to face with the guy from the forest who inspected him with an amused smirk. Very accurate even when he spotted the clothing underneath the traveling cloak which was a lot more noble than what he had seen on him before in the forest. According to his expression, he seemed to be partly surprised, partly impressed. "Interesting~ I already had an intuition, when we met in the forest, that there was more underneath this potato sacks then it seemed to be."

"You stupid cabbage head! Where are you looking at?!" Yugo ranted with a very red face and as fast as he could he climbed off the other male. "Besides I didn't wear potato sacks! Can't you even see if someone is wearing normal clothes or not?!" The smirk opposite of him became wider and it was obvious that the violet haired male enjoyed it to upset him.

"Awww~ If you don't want to be seen by someone, banana forehead, then I suggest you should put on something that isn't your style or emphasize your back side so very well." he countered and ensured that his discussion partner became even redder then he already was. "Y-YOU PERVERT!" 

"Yugo! What are you yelling at?!"

The blue haired male turned around. "Rin!" The fairy had her hands on her hips. "I can't remember teaching you that you can scream around like crazy in the castle!" she scolded and glared at him. "But that isn't my fault, it's his!" 

"Whose?" Rin looked into the direction in which her protege pointed and her eyes widen at the sight of the second young man. "Lord Yuri?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that you were introduced to me, Mylady." The green haired female bowed briefly. "Well, it's 16 years since we've met, Mylord. You were still young, so it is understandable that you don't remember." she answered while Yugo looked between them, confusion on his face.

"You know him?" he wanted to know without paying attention to Yuris expression who inspected Rin and appeared as if he was slowly knowing who he had in front of him. The fairy gave him a look. "Yugo, that's king Shuns nephew." She let him a moment to understand what she had said. "WHAT?! HE?! Can't be!!" Yuri narrowed his eyes. "What do you want do say with that, Yuugou?" he hissed. The younger male reacted instantly. "It's Yugo, dammit!"

"Please excuse the behavior of Lord Atlas' son." the woman sighed touching her forehead. The older one of the duo blinked. "This savage?! I've heard that Lord Atlas' son had disappeared but that this one-" 

"You stupid ass, what should that mean, "this savage"?!"

Rin looked like she wanted to hide underground. The two of them were fighting like an old couple. Something like that she experienced rarely. "If you could end your flirting, it would help us all." Yuri and Yugo turned to her and wanted to protest when Ruris voice sounded. The dark haired female flew with Serena at her heels to them. Latter looked confused, her friend on the other hand panic-struck.

"Rin! We have to return to the cottage now, hurry! We- Yugo? Lord Yuri?!" The blue haired male threw his hands up. "What, you too? I thought this cabbage head is an ordinary traveler who's too stupid to watch out where he crawls around in the forest!" 

"And I think that I have to teach you some manners, Yuugou." 

"It's YUGO!! Do you want trouble?!"

Ruri paled. "Oh no, no, no!" she whispered. "We have to return NOW!" She turned around and flew off. Her friends and the two young men followed her. "What's going on?!" 

"Wait for us! We don't have wings!"

~~~

The night had just begun and the forest according to the light of moon and stars dimly lit when the horse left the small path and stopped in front of the cottage. Yuto brushed through the black mane before he got off the saddle. Dark Rebellion was excellently trained, so he didn't made the effort to tether the stallion.

His gaze wandered to the building in front of him. His subconscious whispered that something was wrong but because of anticipation he pushed it to the side. Tboy he fell in love with lived at this place. He was looking forward to see him again very much. It had took a felt eternity to come here and now a few meters separated him from the younger male.

The black haired one took a deep breath and brushed his companion over the neck, then he marched with firm steps to the house door and knocked. "Come in." a voice resounded from the inside of the building. Yuto followed the invitation and found himself in complete darkness, when the door suddenly fell into the lock behind him, barely after he had taken a few steps into it.

It was exactly what the attack was like. From one second to the other he was surrounded with countless, smaller bodies who threw themselves at him. Yuto resisted and a few times he heard painful whining when his fist broke a nose or hit out a tooth. What finally brought him down was the fact that it were simply too many enemies for him alone. They hold him tight and twisted his arms on his back while the screeching of the crows ended.

A light illuminated the room and the prince looked up. He didn't pay attention to the creatures around him, a few of them aiming lances at him to clarified the situation in which he was. As if it weren't clear to him.

"Well, THAT is really a surprise." 

"You!" 

Yuzu didn't look like she had expected to see him. "I thought I will catch a peasant and instead I find a prince in my net. What unexpected turn." She began to smirk wider and wider, then she laughed briefly. "And what one!" She nodded to her subordinates. "Take him with us! And take care that nothing happens to him. He's an important guest."

~~~

Since the fairies weren't alone on their way back to the forest, it took longer than Ruri wanted. Yuri lead them at first to the stables. Already on the way there the two, young man noticed that the people behaved weird. They leaned at the walls or each other, they all had closed the eyes and didn't react if you adressed them. Rin confessed eventually that the trio put a spell on the residents of the castle and the villages around it that had made humans fall asleep. She didn't mention a reason but Yugo suspected that it was because of Yuya so that the people didn't have to wait for him.

Serena woke Starve Venom up with a counterspell, on whose back the duo swung. The younger male wanted to take an own horse but he didn't had any experience in riding and to not waste even more time, Yuri pulled him behind him on his mount.

The diminished fairies flew ahead while Starve Venom galloped through the night. It stopped in front of a cottage in the middle of the forest with a millwheel at the side and a stream flowing by. Ruri was the first of the three, whose body grew again, and flew hastily to the door pushing it open, the others close behind her.

"What happened here?!" Rin gasped when she saw how the ground floor looked. It was a single mess on which the moon shone through the window. The table, an which they ate and laughed, was on the side. The chairs laid wildly messed up. One of them was broken. The condition of the rest of the furnishing was alarming as well.

"We're too late, oh, we're way too late." Ruri mumbled with her hands in front of her mouth. Yugo, stunned about seeing the place, where he lived for most of his life, this devastated, turned to her. "What's going on here?!" he demanded to know. "Who had done this?"

"That's easy to answer." Serena announced. The light of her wand glowed over the ground and she lifted something up. Yugo didn't recognize the black object. "Yuzu!" Rin called. "Her minions wear something like that!" Her friend nodded. "Exactly. She was here." The two of them got sick when thinking about how it would have been if the pink haired female appeared when they were still here with Yuya.

"But why?" The blue haired male turned to the leader of the fairies. She seemed to know more than all of them. She returned his gaze hesitantly. "Because of the mistakes we had done. You were right. We have done horrible mistakes." she answered. "What does that mean?"

"Thousand times in a dream and finally in reality." Yugo flinched at the words. Even Rin and Serena looked uneasy. They were Yuya's words, describing the moment when he met the love of his life. Shortly before they told him the truth about his identity and broke his heart.

"When I was in the throne room and used the spell, king Shun suddenly had said them before falling asleep. I couldn't get more out of him...." Serena frowned. "From where did he heard of it?" she asked and tilted her head. 

"Maybe from his own son who told him these words today?"

The quartet flinched at Yuris icy cold voice. They hadn't paid attention to him the whole time and it hadn't come a single sound from him. Now he stood in the middle of the mess and held something in his hand. Thanks to the moonlight and the rods they could see that it was a piece of blood red fabric. His gaze was on the four in front of him. The mocking smirk from before at the castle was completely gone. "Well, ladies." He ignored the fact that one of them was male. "I think, it is time to explain why my cousin was here. Or better said, we're going to start with the person who was hidden here by you and who Yuto met today in the woods."

~~~

The Devils Mountain towered high above them. Nearly 16 years long, located in the middle of the Forbidden Mountains, it shook under Yuzu's wrath because Yuya hadn't been found. Each time she exploded out of fury, when their minions reported her another failure in the search for the prince, and the mountain had trembled under it. Since ventures in the whole mountain chain were dangerous even without the fairy and her henchmen, it wasn't allowed to stay there. A ban, which the group could hardly consider, if they wanted to save Yuto.

Yuri had insisted to hear every even so small detail. It was about his cousin and therefore, he didn't let himself be put off with any excuses. Blindness and deafness didn't belong to the characteristics which one would associate with him and he had noticed that there was more behind the fear of the dark haired female shown in the castle. In addition, what made Lord Atlas' son in the woods at first and then in the corridors of the palace?

After that he told them about the conversation between Yuto and his father while they were already on the way to Devils Mountain. The fairies felt even worse as they did due to Yuzu's victory in the castle. If they hadn't limited Yuya's scope of action so much, he would be now with Yuto together at the side of his parents, safe and happy. Additionally, they should have try to find out who he had met in the forest instead of building a wall between the two of them.

When they reached the only path leading to Yuzu's home, Yuri left Starve Venom hidden behind a rock. He doubted that his horse would be found. The pink haired female had gain a big victory after all, she would celebrate and as long as the animal remained in cover, nothing will happen to him.

Before the group started to ascend the pathway, Yuri and Yugo split up the weapons they took with them when leaving the castle hastily. The former one strapped a belt with throwing knifes and a swordbelt around his hip before grabbing a rolled-up whip and pulling his cloak rightly. The latter one held a bow in his hand, the quiver at his back and hidden by the own cloak.

He threw the older male a glance while the fairies shrank themselves. "Why do you need so many weapons?" He wasn't so sure if too much equipment maybe wouldn't even hinder them. "Well, one of us have to take something with us for Yuto." the violet haired said. Yugo would love to give a remark at the snappy tone of the other one but he didn't. They were all tense and in a way, Yuri was right. They had to consider that they needed the support of the black haired male as soon as they fled with him.

Using the dark of the night and all hiding places the two, young men ran up the pathway, hiding the fairies in their hoods. Someday a long, long time ago the castle at the top of the mountain had been an imposing building. But now it was partly a ruin, the stonewalls coloured black. Nonetheless, it was well guarded like Serena noticed as they reached the drawbridge. Everywhere the shadows of the creatures moved securing the masonry.

Rin raised her wand. The two beings at the gate turned around and tried to find out what they had perceived thanks to a trick of the fairy. It was enough that the group could slip past them. Quickly the next hiding place was used and they created an overview. "There." Ruri pointed to a corner of the first inner courtyard, directly after the front gate.

"Dark Rebellion." Yuri whispered at the sight of the black stallion. The animal was chained on one leg and surrounded by some of the bird beings. They held arrows and lances in their arms and obviously wanted to torture it but Dark Rebellion was no horse that let itself treat badly and accepted this. Even before the first tip of an arrow could touch its skin, it kicked hard until the beings let off.

"Stupid beast!" one of the beings complained as they moved back. "I'll slit its belly open!" It draw its bow and put on the arrow. The quintet froze in their hiding spot in fear for the horse. "Hey!" A pig creature limped to them. "The mistress has forbidden that we cut this nag's throat open. So leave!" it grunted.

The other minions flinched around. "The ban of the mistress counts only for the brat in the dungeon!" one of it snapped. "No, for that thing there too." the newcomer countered throwing a glare at the animal. "Even if I would love to punch the brat for breaking my kneecap..."

Yugo and the fairies nearly lost their jaws. Yuri on the other side looked satisfied. "It seems that he did a good job. The training had paid off." he whispered. At the looks of the other four he rolled his eyes. "My uncle had trained us for years, especially Yuto to be able to protect his little bride when being alone too. What, you thought that my cousin surrenders to this witch and her boot licking idiots without a fight? Moreover, she was always the subject for the training dolls and targets."

If he was honest, Yugo was curious how this training had looked like. He decided to speak about this topic as soon as they managed to reunite the two fiancés. Yuya's happiness with the older prince was now the most important thing.

Silently they sneaked on. Again and again they had to squeeze into dark spots so that their enemies won't see them until they eventually reached a protusion, with that they could threw a look into a big hall. Loud screeching and the light of magical pink fire had gave them an impression from far away that there was something going on.

It was a feast where the present creatures around the fire in the middle of the room tried to overbit themselves with their moving and jumping. Some of them were located at the edge of the scene and cheered. Near the protusion Yuzu sat on her throne and pet Roger the bleached head while Leo sat on her shoulder. Sie smiled satisfied.

"A shame that the prince isn't here. A little bit of relaxation would be good for him." she said. The bird on the stone rest hissed. "Hmm, not a bad idea. Our guest needs some livening up." Without paying attention to her underlings the pink haired female raised, sat Roger on her free shoulder and left the room.

The quintet glanced at each other, then they followed the woman cautiously and with some distance so that she wouldn't notice them. Now they finally had a trace to the black haired male. They weren't allowed to afford mistakes!

Yuzu marched through some corridors deeper and deeper inside the castle until she reached a wooden door with a barred window. From her glove she pulled out a hidden key with which she opened the lock and let it close behind her. Her pursuer used this to get closer quickly and looked through the window taking care that they stayed hidden.

Yuto sat on a thick, wide board that was installed more bad than right at the wall. Probably it should represent a bed, with a big, dirty cloth laying diagonally on it and staying unregarded from the young man. He had crossed one leg over the other and fold his arms. From them chains led to the wall behind him. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be calm and composed without caring about that he'd gotten a visit just now.

"You look so bored, Your Highness. What would be perfect in your mind to counteract this boredom? I really can't imagine that something like that is pleasant." Yuzu spoke to the black haired male. He didn't look up but the listener didn't miss it either that he tensed up. "Not? Maybe something different worthy your attention? Hmm~ There has to be something~"

The dark fairy tapped thoughtfully with her index finger against her chin, on top of that fixing him. After a few moments she clapped her hands. "Ah, I've got it! Of course, I'm so forgettable." She grinned widely. "There is a very special person I absolutely have to introduce to you. In which, introduce isn't the right word, I have to say."

Now she got a reaction from her captive. He raised his head and glared at her. Yuzu continued to smirk, then she turned to a wall and raised her hand. The lines of the bricks and their dark colour went fuzzy and something different appeared. The picture of a castle, wrapped in the cloak of the night and illuminated by the light of the stars, was to be seen.

Yuto's eyebrow twitched slightly up. He knew the building shown by the woman and he didn't understand what she aimed at with that. The fairy didn't let him out of her sight. "I know that you know what that is. King Zarc's castle."The vision changed, took aim at the highest tower. "And here, right in this tower, is prince Yuya, your fiancé."

Right at that moment, as she mentioned the boy's name, the picture wandered through the balcony at the top of the tower into the chamber and there to the bed and the person laying in it. Grey soul mirrors widened when the young man saw the face. He would recognize him everywhere. "I'm sure that you already have seen this face. Like for example... less than a day ago, in bright sunshine and at a lake hidden deep in the forest, right Roger?"

Yuri's eyes narrowed. Did this witch spy after them? He glanced to his companions. At the sight of the younger prince pain had spread on their faces but it was replaced with anger. Questions had been there after the departure of the fairy. How did Yuzu manage to get past them when they brought Yuya back to the castle and how had she been successful as well to attack Yuto in the cottage? The answer sat on her shoulder and just got fondled. The crow had found the couple at the forest lake and had followed the boy.

"You're so surprised?" The voice of the pink haired female again reached the ears of the listeners who had to hold themselves back to not give themselves away howsoever. "I can understand that. But I can assure you, you're not the first one getting news on this fateful day. Did you know that your fiancé didn't know who he was and thus to that who you are? And now he dreams about a farmer he met at the lake, not about the prince he should have marry from the very beginning."

If she was hoping to get maybe a negative reaction, she was disappointed. Yuto stayed calm. Wether farmer or prince, as long as Yuya was dreaming about him, it didn't bother him. There was only one thing left, that he himself wasn't with the younger male, holding him in his arms and seeing his smile. He had to get out of here and get back to him, making sure he learned the truth. As soon as this was done, he wouldn't let go of him.

"Oh, you should see your face. You're acting like being unapproachable but if it's about prince Yuya, you're an open book." Yuzu watched him with a sadistic joy which could be seen with tormentors of animals if they had a new victim in their hands. "You think that you will be successful with marching out of here, returning to the castle, reawaken your true love and ride with him into sunset."

She laughed as he glared at her. "That's so sweet~" she giggled. "As if I would allow that!" The fairy grinned widely while her gaze wandered between the two of them back and forth. "You know~ Actually I've planned to not let you free until the last hours of your miserable life and then have my fun when you're not successful to get back to the castle. But what speaks against it if you are near each other?"

He knew instinctively that the pink haired female was planning something sinister. She wouldn't allow him freeing Yuya from her curse and bringing him back to life. And he wasn't disappointed.

"And still so far away~ Like a dog having an especially nice bone in front of his nose." Yuzu's malicious smile said enough what she intended to do while her fingers brushed over the facial contours of her victim on the picture created by magic .

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!!!" Yuto was up within a second and wanted to bring the woman down but the chains at his wrists held him back and prevented him from attacking her. "I swear, you damn bitch, if you touch Yuya, I'll make you pay so much for every crooked hair on my fiancé that you'll wish that you have never entered our lives!" he threatened growling.

Yuzu wasn't impressed by his words, she was amused. "I'm curious if that will ever happens." she mocked and turned to the door while Yuya's picture started to fade. The black haired male cursed behind her back, the worried look directed at the wall until there was nothing to see from his future one. The fairy left the cell and locked the door. "Hmm~ I can't wait to finally get to bed. That's the first night in 16 years I can rest easy." she said to her animal companions as she took the stairs upwards.

Only when they were gone, the quintet dared to come out from its hideout in a near side corridor it had fled into before Yuzu could discover them when leaving the cell. With Leo and Roger they weren't completely sure if they had noticed their presence or not. There wasn't any reaction coming from the two birds in this regard.

"This monster!" Rin hissed with a flaming look in the direction of the stairway. "You can say that loud!" Yugo was upset as well. If Yuri and the other fairies hadn't held them back, they would love to charge in and let Yuzu feel what they thought about the pink haired female wanting to harm Yuya any further than she already had.

"Calm down again." Ruri sighed. "More important is that we free prince Yuto and make sure that he gets to prince Yuya before Yuzu comes for him." 

"Then we should hurry." Yuri suggested dryly and eyed the lock to find out how he could open it the best.

"True." Serena raised her wand and let the lock just disappear. It hadn't escaped any of the five how strong the obvious feelings of the black haired one were for the younger male. Even now, knowing the truth about him, he loved him and wasn't interested in manipulative words which should weaken these feelings.

The violet haired one opened the door and surprised his cousin who had sat down again and was trying to free himself from his chains. "Yuri?" The prince blinked at the sight of the other before he looked to Yugo and the fairies. "And who are you?" The former opened his mouth and wanted to give an answer but Yuri beat him. "Lord Atlas' son and the fairies of good who had hidden your sweet, little bride."

Serena held the bluenette's mouth shut when he wanted to protest that he could had managed their introductions as well. "We don't have time to lose." Ruri whispered and brandished her wand. The chains dissolved into nothing. Immediately the prince was up again and nodded to her. "We have to get back to the castle." he said quietly and wanted to pass the present, however, he stopped when his cousin pressed a sword with the handle against his chest.

"We know that." Yuri waited until he took the weapon. "We have time til this witch has slept enough." 

"Then let's go." Yuto looked at each of them. "I want to be with Yuya before she's going to hunt him again." Multiple nods answered him. "And as soon as we're on the way back with Dark Rebellion, I want to know exactly what happened. Everything!"

Again, multiple nods answered him before they left. Silently and as quiet as possible but as fast as they could too. None of them wanted to stay longer than necessary at this goddamn place. They didn't get as far as they hoped. The group had outdistanced a part of the stairs when two smaller bodies approached them.

Roger opened up the beak and hissed menacingly while Leo immediately started to screech loudly for support. As Rin raised her rod and Yuri reached for his throwing knifes, they fluttered away. "Damn it!" 

"Come on!" Ruri urged them on and hurried after Yuto who simply took a diversion und continued. He didn't let himself stopped by the sudden appearance of the two crows. Being free again, there was nothing which could keep him away from Yuya.

The others followed them until they left the dungeon and were expected directly in front of the stairs by Yuzu's minions approaching them. Over their heads the two birds whizzed around and egged the beings on with their screaming. The three fairies shrinked at once while their companions threw themselves into the pack and fight their way through the mass of black clothed creatures.

Yuri hadn't been completely sure about how well Yugo was educated in fighting while being raised by the women in the woods. He was all the more impressed that the younger male was able to fight off their enemies without big problems. Thanks to Serena's magic his quiver was always filled with arrows. "Did you learned to fight with other weapons as well?" he wanted to know as they managed to escape the first wave of attack and hurried in the direction of the courtyard behind the entrance gate where Dark Rebellion was located.

"Yes, lance and sword." the blue haired male answered. "Ah~ So nothing I would be defeated in a sparring match." It tempted the young man to find out how good the other noble was. However, he didn't admit that openly, even more since there was a way to get what he wanted and amuse himself at the same time. 

"I really love to see THAT!" 

"You can, Yuugou." The reaction was right away. "It's YUGO, bloody hell!! I swear I'm going to get you! Just wait for it!" 

"Sure, sure~"

It didn't need to be mention that Yuri's smug grin exasperated Yugo even more. Yuto raised an eyebrow, Ruri and Serena decided to put their ears on passage and Rin facepalmed. "If it is already like this with those two, I don't want to know how it will be later if they really jump into bed together." she mumbled.

Luckily the next enemies weren't still to be seen because the statement didn't stay unheard. "W-W-With HIM?! Never ever!" Yugo's voice jumped a few octaves in the air after just catching himself and prevented to fall on his nose. The prince decided to remain silent while his cousin grinned more in amusement. A bright red Ruri had to pull Serena to herself, otherwise she would flew against a wall. "Rin! My goodness, do you really have no oth-- ...Oh man, now these beasts are here again!"

Leo and Roger flew down to them and the next wave of enemies appeared shortly after, placing themselves between the group and their destination. "Grrr!! They're so annoying!" Rin, whose fury at the two crows hadn't disappeared, dislodged from her friends and the young men to start a counterattack. Roger screeched and fluttered away in one direction, Leo into another. Serena followed the green haired female. They had to get rid of the crows or they would receive more problems thanks to them.

Yugo opened his mouth but the dark violet haired one waved off. "They will manage!" she cried and let a surge of arrows become flowers. Her protege whirled around and two of the attackers were pulled back with one hit. While the quartet fought through the courtyard to Dark Rebellion, Rin targeted Roger. The bird was way nastier than Leo and often had made the fairies' life difficult. Thanks to him a lot of the works of the green haired one were damaged.

The crow screeched and flew away in a zigzack, avoided the green sparks and made sure that the spirited fairy was even more annoyed about him as she was already. She was so busy with the chase that she missed the shooter targeting her from some battlements.

The arrow flew past her by a hair's breath and Rin jumped startled. She was also just able to avoid another but she catched herself. She would manage the additional enemy, she was sure of that. Somewhere behind her she heard Roger returning who wanted to take advantage of its pursuer's attention now not laying on it sole. Rin cursed in her thoughts. She had to get rid of the shooter before she could stuff the annoying poultry's beak.

She didn't had to do much more. When she avoid the next arrow, the screeching behind her suddenly died. At the same time, the weapon of the being changed into a broom which started to move. It leapt out of the hands of its perplexed owner and chased after him to spank him with the twigs at the bottom of the long rod. Rin looked satisfied and turned to watch out for the crow. She spotted it very fast. The arrow had hit it at the chest and pinned the liveless body between the bricks of a half-ruined wall. The fairy's face twisted slightly, then she turned around and left the sight behind.

In the meantime, Ruri flew to Dark Rebellion and let the chain at its leg disappear due to magic. As soon as it didn't feel the cold metal around its leg anymore, the horse reared up and stormed through the mass of opponents to its owner. The creatures not dodging or reacting too late to the black stallion were just tramped down.

Yuto felt relief at the sight of his loyal companion, then he swung on its back. The enemies around the two of them moved a little bit back suspecting that it became more dangerous for them. "GO!!" Yuri snapped as his cousin wanted to fight through to him and Yugo. "We're already coming!! Go, damn it already!!"

"Come on, Your Majesty! They can do it!" Ruri urged him on. She saw Rin and Serena returning to them without the flying pests in tow. Leo had found his end as a stone figure after trying to confuse the blue haired female. The dark violet haired one could see that the prince didn't really like it to leave the others behind but eventually, he gave in.

Not that he had to worry. With the support of the fairies Yuri and Yugo fought until they were out of the walls and saved themselves with a leap forward when they crossed the drawbridge and suddenly a lightning struck. A part of their enemies didn't had the luck to save themselves back into the walls, the rest stayed on the other side in the partly destroyed castle.

"What was that?!" Rin gasped terrified. "That was Yuzu." her friend was sure. "She woke up." Yugo was immediately back on his feet. "Come! Surely she will try to stop the prince so that he won't reach the castle!" 

"We will see that!"

Yuto and Ruri waited for the four straggler with Starve Venom. The brown horse trotted to his master when seeing him, then they started to gallop. The mountain behind them shook under the raging fury of the pink haired female who couldn't believe that someone freed her prisoner, finished off her crows, stirred up her underlings and got away with all of that. It made her even more angrier than she already was that her sleep was interrupted by the sudden commotion.

Black clouds spread out at the sky and lightnings flickered through the night, hit the rocks of the mountains to make the way for the fugitives more difficult or even block it. The three fairies started to sweat while the two horses were permanently surrounded by glittering sparks. Thanks to that, they were very good visible for their foe but Yuzus attacks couldn't harm them thanks to the spells until they left the Forbidden Mountains and the path led them for a few minutes through a wooded area.

Ruri took the time and gave Yuto the information he wanted. Why the younger prince disappeared together with the other nobles son, where they were during all these years, why Yuya weren't allowed to tell him his name as they met at the lake in the forest and why the younger male wasn't in the cottage anymore when his fiancé came to get him. The black haired one listened attentively and thanked her after ending the story. He felt it as a relief to know now how the love of his life grow up. All thoughts about the engagement with king Zarcs child he had before and which were about him not wanting to marry the other one were already gone.

Yuzu stood on the balcony of her bedroom, clutching the railing with her fingers, on which Leo's stone figure was placed. Her eyebrows were drawn together like thunderclouds and in her face was bottomless anger. "Do you really think you could escape me?" she hissed into the darkness. The crackling electricity around her, triggered by her own lightnings, let her hair stand on end. The look of the pink haired female wandered from the spot, where the group disappeared into the forest, to the castle in the distance. "Born from the darkness, grow high up to the sky, my thorny forest!" she hissed und yanked her arms up.

Dark Rebellion and Starve Venom broke through the undergrowth and headed straightway to king Zarcs castle. "Look!" Rin yelled and pointed to the building standing at the other end of the big grassy plain. Pitch black clouds pulled together over the roofs and pink flashes flickered past the walls. "Damn it!" Yuto cursed, in his face fear. His eyes fixed the highest tower. "Does this witch try to kill Yuya and the other castle residents?!"

"I don't think so." Yuri countered. "Take a closer look!" The nearer they got the better they could see the weird objects shooting up in the high. So high that the palace disappeared behind them. The horses reached a path and galloped on it to a stone bridge over a wide river, the only link between grasslands and castle. In the light of the striking lightning the giant, thorny plants were better to see.

"Watch out!" Serena's warning was nearly too late. Dark Rebellion and Starve Venom reared in terror as the ground underneath them exploded. A new tendril grew up while the riders tried to get their animals under control as well as possible. Yuto jumped from the back of his stallion and let it retreat.

"If she believes that this will stop me, she's wrong." he growled, pulled out his sword and ran to the plant barrier, hit it to make his way through it. When Yuri and Yugo followed him, their mount ran after the other stallion. The blue haired male looked after it. "The horses..." he began. "You don't need to worry about them, Yugo, they'll return as soon as they've calmed down." 

"Damnit again, it's Yu- Oh, you've spelled my name correctly."

A smirk spread on the face of the young man. "Hmmm~? Do you want me to spell your name wrong, Yuugou? That's no problem~" he said. The other one became red in anger. "You lousy bast-" 

"Hey! Stupid and Pervert!" Both heads turned to a certain black haired male who glared at them. "Continue and I swear to you, I going to lock you into a broom chamber even before the preaching of the priest begins and I'm going to take the key with me into the honeymoon! So move or we will never get through this!"

Normally, the prince wasn't anyone to give this kind of... "nicknames" to others but he was way to tense and the situation was too stressful as that he could take care of that as he usually did. He would apologize for it but at the moment he had no head for it.

The two bickering stopped their dispute. Also because Yugo was way too perplexed and Yuri realised that his cousin's nerves were overused. He hadn't seen him like that before, so he didn't say any more comments.

They didn't get far. Suddenly the thorny tendrils slipped to the side on their own, formed an oval-shaped space. Even before the group could use this to advance further more, a pink fireball appared and took a form they all knew very well. Yuzu's unruly fury encircled her like a second skin while she glared full of hate at the other fairies and the young men. "Here's the end of your way! I'm going to destroy you!" she hissed. "Keep dreaming! You can't stop us!" The corner of her mouth raised slightly. "Ah, prince Yuto, believing that is so gloriously naive from you~ I'll leave you until the end. Your appendages will be the first and for that what's left from your little fiancé I will think of something before it's your turn."

Yuto instantly saw red. He doubted that his companions would let themselves killed by the evil fairy this easily but Yuya was a different topic. The thought alone of the pink haired female being near the younger male disturbed him tremendously. With a growl, which could make a pack of hungry wolves flee at the spot, he stormed to the pink haired one and raised up his sword to split her head.

Yuzu dodged at the last moment and swung her hand. Flames danced around her fingers and turned into a black blade, a rapier. Yugo pulled the bow up and wanted to shoot the enemy fairy but Yuri held an arm in front of him holding him back while he observed the fight attentively. Not that he doubted the shooting skills of the other one, after all he'd saw before that the three women had educated the younger mal very well. But he thought about the possibility that the arrow could hit the wrong person and hurt them.

It didn't took long, then the two fighters broke apart again. Dark glares were exchanged while Yuzu raised her free hand and touched the slightly bleeding scratch on her shoulder. "Not bad~" she said. The words seemed to show Being-Impressed but in her face stood pure killing spree. She wanted to tear her opponent to pieces and she would enjoy it as soon as it was time.

"But not good enough to beat me!" The rapier disappeared and at the same instant the pink haired female was surrounded by a pillar of fire seemingly reaching the sky. A black shadow grow inside and when the flames and the associated heat dissolved, a huge dragon stood in front of the group, who backed away, startled at the sight.

"Holy shit!" it escaped Yugo but none of the fairies made an effort to scold him for that, although they normally held big pieces on it that he didn't curse. But Yuzu's new scaly appearance took their whole attention and they didn't reacted.

The monstrous being straightened up to its full height and stared at its smaller enemies. Smoke streamed out of its nose when it snorted disdainfully, then it attacked. The young men threw themselves to the side as far as they could. They were surrounded by the brambles from all sides and in contrast to the dragon they could hurt themselves badly at the growth.

The fairies had fled into safety between the plants, all in shrunken form. On the one hand to not being in the way of the fighters, on the other hand to regenerate some energy. They were restless while watching how the noble trio was defending themselves against Yuzu.

Yuri's whip was useless against their enemy, so that's why he pulled out his throwing knives and crouched away from the blows and tail beatings together with Yugo, which was dealed by the dragon. Yuto tried to cause some damage to the beast from the other side. It snapped at him and eventually took a deep breath.

"Watch out!" Rin screamed while the fairies flew out of their hideout. Only one second later the dragon opened its mouth and a pink stream of fire shot out of it, setting the thorny tenders on fire. It didn't took long and the plant walls of the battleground were an ocean of flames, no matter where they looked.

"And what now?!" The transformed pink haired above them laughed mockingly, knowing that the range of motion of her prey was now more limited then before. "Well, if defence won't help us here..." Yuto stared at the dragon in front of him. "Then we have to do the opposite of it." 

"Opposite?" Yugo looked between the two cousins back and forth. "Attack, Yuugou, attack." Yuri answered and got a growl. "Damnit, not even in such a situation?! I swear to you, if this is over, you'll pay for it!!"

While the transformed fairy was amused even more, the prince was determined to make his threat from before true. You really couldn't stand that! At least, the bickering stopped when he stormed to Yuzu and the duo was following him. Their enemy was absolutely unimpressed about the resistance at the first moments until it began to annoy her more and more that the three didn't want to be destroyed by her.

She managed to bring Yuri down to his knees when he helped to fend off an attack against Yugo. That the blue haired male had only a weapon for range, was now a big disadvantage in close combat. Yuzu discovered this problem very fast and made him her target. With her tail she tried to hit Yuto to keep him busy while she didn't let her new victim out of her sight.

Though the pink haired one couldn't keep all of her opponents busy at the same time. When the other fairies got in the mix as well, to protect the two nobles, Yuto saw his chance. The dragon made a confused sound when she suddenly felt something on her back and a moment later, pain exploded there. The being reared up screaming, backing away and squirming around while the enemy, who she lost out of her sight, tried to hold himself between her shoulder blades, blood on the sword blade.

"The legs! Target the legs!" Yugo shoved Yuri to the side and pulled two arrows out of his quiver. They wouldn't align very much against the hard scales but he hoped that it was enough to distract Yuzu from the prince that she wasn't successful with throwing him into the fire. A hand was placed on his shoulder. "I'm taking her legs. You should aim at her eyes." the older one instructed him. He didn't miss what his cousin had done on the back. He nearly cut off the wings of the dragon and was now holding himself at this position, his gaze directed to the ground to not miss the suitable time for a jump.

The creature roared and squirmed more and more, stroking after its opponents. Ruri and her friends got out of the way, the other two hadn't this much luck. One blow ripped them off their feet and threw them to the ground, way too near to the firey walls. Yuto cursed and jumped down from the back of the monster rushing hastily to the duo to pull them away from the fire so that they won't get burns.

The women hurried to his support. "Don't worry, they'll get better." Rin looked very relieved. The black haired male took a deep breath, then he raised from his kneeling position and turned around staring at the wounded dragon. "Take care of them. I'm going to end this." he said determined. His opponent noticed that he got ready for continuing the confrontation and hissed at him.

Ruri held him back. "Please wait. Take this here to finish this terror off." With this words the three fairies lifted their wands and again sparks were released from their tips winding around the sword and disappearing within the blade. "Good luck." Rin notified, then the women sank to the ground. Using magic so much had brought them to their limit.

Thankfully Yuto nodded before he stepped in front of Yuzu hoping that he succeeded in defeating the changed fairy fast. Whatever the fairies gave him with their magic, it had to help ihm to end this madness before the pink haired female could do even more damage. Before she laid her hand on what he loved the most...

The fairies could only move with some trouble trying to stay together as good as possible to give their enemy little attack surface while they tried to protect the two young men at the same time. Again and again they watched the two fighters. That the prince caught Yuzu at her weakpoint supplied them with an advantage after all the struggle. The problem was that the rest of her body was protected by hard scales and magic to make a victory against her difficult, very difficult.

"Ouch... That hurt." Their attention was directed to the duo who awoke slowly and nearly at the same time. Rin helped Yugo to sit up. "Are you alright?" Serena eyed both of them searching for bigger injuries. "Not like I'd like to-" Yuri started and looked up before his eyes suddenly widened. "Shit!"

His unusual behavior drew the other's gazes to the fight where they had to see the sword getting ripped out of Yuto's hands. It flew through the air and came down a few steps away from them. Yuzu made her opponent fall and roared triumphantly while the prince held his head. It's hurt due to the fall. The dragon stood up on its hind legs, a devilish glint in the eyes, enjoying the sight in front of it and then letting itself fall after a moment.

"Damnit!!" Although his body was hurting slightly, Yugo leaped up and stumbled to the sword to grab it. Yuri and the trio of fairies reacted a little bit too late. "CATCH!" Again the blade flew through the air. Yuto raised his head while the dragon growled into the direction of the sudden interruption. It wasn't able to stop its fall anymore.

The women's arms snapped up and the violet haired one pulled the younger male to himself as clouds of dust ascended. They only looked up when the sight got better again. Yuzu in her dragon form supported herself on an elbow. The massive body covered with hard scales blocked their view at Yuto.

None of those standing at the side didn't dare to move when the transformed pink haired female raised her head up and let out a shrill sound. Her body reared up slightly and for a moment they could not only see the unharmed looking black haired male but a part of the sword as well which stuck in the enemy's chest.

Yugo opened the mouth wanting to say something but he couldn't do it. Pink flames licked at the dragon's body until it was completely enveloped by them. In the middle of the fire a black clothed figure raised up. Yuzu squirmed screeching loud and shrill while she burned. It took some moments until she wasn't seen anymore. The flames began to shrink slowly and disappeared eventually. Only the sword and something black and misshapen laid on the ground.

"Did we made it?" the blue haired male dared to ask. "I think so." Serena pointed to the thorny vines which dissolved as if they hadn't ever existed. "Jippie!!" Yuri took a relieved breath. "So, your suicidal action was good for something, Yuugou." Instantly he got an angry glare. "It's Yugo, asshole! And what do you mean "suicidal"?!" 

"That what it is."

Rin grinned widely. "I believe, Lord Yuri want to say that he's been worried about you." she whistled and watched amused both of them blushing slightly. "About this lunatic?! Never!" Serena sighed and looked to Ruri who saw to a direction, a smile on her lips. "They will never stop..." 

"Hm?" Her friend blinked, then she turned around to gaze at the others and snickered. "No, these two won't."

"Where is the prince?" The blue haired fairy looked around for Yuto who had disappeared from the ground. After the fire melt away, there was only the light of the moon and the stars to that they could see something. The clouds covering the sky made the same as the fire. Ruri smiled. "Already on the way."

While Serena threw a confused gaze at her leader and Rin continued to watch amused how Yuri and Yugo bickered more, both of them blushing a lot, Yuto was on his way to the castle. Without the tendrils, without a revenge seeking fairy and her appendages there was nothing that could stop him now. Determined he ran to the huge building, Dark Rebellion right on his heels while Starve Venom joined its owner.

Thanks to the others he knew what was waiting for him when he passed one of the doors and ended up in the inner courtyard. Still a bad feeling spread inside him discovering the residents of the palast and their guests in a deep slumber. In any room surely there was his father but Yuto didn't went searching for him. He wanted to go to the tower at first.

Dark Rebellion stayed at the door he used to advance further. The black haired male knew exactly how he could get the chamber in the highest tower. After all, in the last 16 years he spent a lot of time at this place, knew many corridors, and so it didn't took very long until he reached the stairway leading up.

Taking two steps at once, Yuto ascended until he finally stood in front of a double door. For a moment he had to catch his breath which he missed after this exhausting endurance run. Then his sight wandered to the door and anticipation grew within him, mixed with nervousness. On the other side was what's most precious for him on the world.

Slowly his hands were laid on the handles and pressed them down, then he pushed the door open entering the room behind it. Thanks to what Yuzu showed him, he knew exactly where to look to find Yuya. It felt like two magnets pulling at each other, when he caught sight of the boy how he laid on the bed sleeping peacefully. His heart beat loudly while the black haired male stepped to the furniture and sat down next to the smaller one.

Yuto didn't noticed how one hand raised and brushed a bang out of the face he fell in love with. A smile appeared on his lips. "I'm sorry it took so long but now I'm finally here." he whispered and leaned down to the younger male. This time there was no wolf shoving itself between them.

Tempting sweetness greeted him when his lips found their soft opposite. It felt better then he'd ever imagined. The kiss was over after a moment but when the older prince straightened up a bit, he could see something moving in Yuyas face. A few muscles gave kind of a life sign due to slight twitching until both eyelids eventually lifted up and let him see ruby red eyes.

The boy blinked and a smile spread on his face when he noticed the male in front of him. "Hey... You're here. I thought I would never see you again." His hand raised and laid on the other's cheek. Bigger finger closed around it.

"That wouldn't happen, I can assure you." Yuto wrapped his free arm around Yuya and pulled him into a sitting position, not letting go of him. The smaller one buried his face at the shoulder in front of him. "Yes, it would. I... I have to tell you something. I-I'm not... n-not w-what you saw in the forest." His voice sounded chocked.

The black haired male turned his head slightly and pressed a kiss on his temple. "Me too, so don't worry." he answered and helped the boy out of the bed. Yuya pulled a bit away from him, his eyes already wet. "No, you don't understand. I've learned after our last meeting that I'm engaged to someone. I swear you I had no idea!" he tried to explain the problem.

Yuto blinked, then he smiled. "I know. Ruri, one of the fairies who raised you, told me everything." he said and saw confusion spreading in the face of the younger one. "Aunt Ruri? But... why? She told me that... that..." Yuya couldn't understand it. A few hours ago the woman told him that he wasn't allowed to meet the man in front of him ever again and now, everything was different again?

"Maybe it'll help you if I tell you my name since I know yours as well." The older prince pulled away from him. He wanted to know what the black haired one meant when he took his hand and breathed a kiss on it. "My name is Yuto and... I am king Shun's son." he introduced himself, tension like a lump in his stomach.

The two rubies widened and Yuya was speechless, didn't know what he should say. The one opposite of him felt the own uneasiness growing. "Well... I can understand if that's just too much for you, after everything you already heard. I-" Yuto stopped himself when a smaller body fell into his arms, holding tight onto him.

"Please give me just a moment. I didn't expect the man I always dreamt of and my fiancé being one and the same person. I was never..." 

"Sh~" Strong arms surrounded the younger prince. "I'm here. And no matter what happens, I promise you that I'll always be on your side."

He felt the stony lump in his belly shrinking and a smile grew on his lips, especially when Yuya cuddled to him accepting his promise with a nod. "But from now on, we won't hide anything from each other, right?" The boy raised his gaze with a smile. "Under no circumstances, we will." That they knew now, who the other was, didn't change their feelings for each other when they kissed again.

~~~

When he opened his eyes, Shun felt like he had slept way too long. Yawning he rubbed his eyes. "I feel like I'd had a too long nap." he heard Zarc's voice next to him. Oh yes, slowly he remembered again. After his own son had told him that he wanted to marry a commoner and then just left him where he was, he set off with Yuri and met Zarc and Ray in their castle while his nephew went somewhere else. He'd wanted to tell his friend about Yuto's decision, just at the moment he fell asleep.

"Me too." The sleepiness faded fast and he looked around. Dozen of guests rubbed their eyes or yawned behind their hands. All of them came because of one event, the return of the offspring of the other ruler. Weird that they fell asleep too.

"Looks like we're here at the right moment." a voice said and the looks turned into a direction. Shun spotted Yuri with a boy at his side coming in. The blue haired male dragged something in black behind him. "How do you mean that, nephew? And what does your companion have with him?" the royal wanted to know.

Said companion bowed in front of the two kings and the queen. "Your Majesties. We're bringing you the rest what's left of Yuzu." he explained with visibly tension. He stood a bit stiff in front of Shun and the couple while Yuri was way more relaxed. With all looks on him it was understandable. Zarc raised from his chair and took some steps to them. "Yuzu's rest? How should we understand that?" he wanted to know. "Well-" the violet haired began but was interrupted. "Yugo?"

All eyes wandered to a woman who made her way through the mass of guests. "Mama?" Unlike her husband and his best friend Ray understood instantly what was going on. A smile spread on her face when Lady Atlas' face brightened. "My boy!" she cried and stormed to her son, ignoring the fact that everyone stared at her and that she was absolutely not acting like nobility.

A small carpet fold made her lose her foot. Yugo let fall what was left by the devilish fairy and caught his mother, getting out of balance himself. There was a loud crash, then both of them laid on the ground. "Are you okay, Mama?" The young man looked at the woman after he recovered from the fall and the weird landing. The glasses slipped from her nose but she didn't care about it while hugging him. Thick tears ran over her cheeks. "I've missed you so much." she sobbed as her husband appeared between the other people. "And you've become so big."

Zarc raised a hand to signal that nobody was allowed to disturb the reunion of mother and son. He knew the feeling of waiting for the own child for years himself and he couldn't wait to pull his offspring into his arms. The dark haired woman's joy about the return of her child was very understandable for him.

Yugo closed his eyes and nestled his cheek to the woman's. "I've missed you too, Mama." he said and felt joy bubbling inside him for finally being with his parents again. "When you're finish, it would be really nice if you go down from me." a voice permeated his ears and taken aback, both of them looked into the direction. Now the blue haired male understood why he had landed so weirdly soft.

Yuri glared at mother and son while Lord Atlas came to them with a sigh and pulled the duo away from him so that he could stand up again. "Sorry." Yugo's sheepish grin made sure that the people were giggling even more quietly. The violet haired male's expression didn't change when he drew his clothes rightly.

His uncle nodded to a soldier who took the task of taking the black fabric smelling like smoke. "I have the feeling that we will learn later what it's all about." he said watching how the couple welcomed their offspring, who had been absent for years, in their middle and Lady Atlas refused to let go of the boy.

"I agree with you. And I remember that you wanted to tell me something earlier, Shun. What was that?" Zarc raised an eyebrow when Shun visibly didn't feel in his own skin, from one second to the next. Yuri noticed this as well while the other guests continued with their own conversations they had to interrupt thanks to the sudden sleep and the appearance of the duo. The younger male had a presentiment, what had triggered the changed behaviour of the second ruler, and he smirked widely.

The king took a deep breath knowing that he had to deliver the unpleasant message to his best friend. "Zarc, listen-" he began but stopped himself when a fanfare resounded. Annoyed he threw the man a dark glare because of the interruption before speechlessness spread on his expression.

Ruri and her two friends had arrived on a small balcony where they could observe the events well. They had separated from Yugo and Yuri before they entered the castle to find out something. Now they wanted to watch the following events from a seat where they had a good look at everything.

Especially at the couple now coming down the stairs and drawing all attention to themselves. They were preoccupied with a quiet conversation, both of them a happy smile at their faces and looking at each other with all the love they felt for each other.

Yuto was still wearing his dirty traveling clothes, even the cloak, while he lead Yuya at his arm down the stairway. That those present moved to the side and formed a corridor they could proceed through, he only noticed by the way. The younger male was aware of this a lot more, after all he had spend his life secluded without ever being surrounded by so many people. With Yuto at his side his nervousness didn't reach the limit.

"Our son has developed wonderfully." Ray whispered to her husband whose gaze wandered to the approaching couple after he watched equally amused and confused how Shun's expression changed. "You're right." he agreed visibly proud and relieved having his offspring with him again after a long time.

It took only a few moments for the royal couple to wait until the younger couple stopped some steps away from them and showed their respect with a bow, then Yuto pushed Yuya gently in the direction of his parents so that they could greet each other correctly. The boy felt the tension within him growing but the joy about finally meeting his mother and father was bigger.

With a few steps he was with them and in a hug. "Welcome home." Zarc whispered while Ray brushed through her child's hair and eventually gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It's nice that you're here again." she added. "Thank you. I'm happy too." Yuya uttered in a stifled voice. In all these years he managed to hold down the need for the arms of a mother and a father, now it returned with full force.

"I think you should explain this to me." Shun said and stepped to his son with a raised eyebrow, who attentively watched the family reunion and didn't let Yuya out of his sight. "Don't worry, father, you will get it. Though it is a rather long one." the black haired male answered without taking off the gaze off his fiancé.

For a moment it was silent between the two of them. "And when will I get this explanation?" the dark haired one asked. "If you want it right now, Yuri will give it to you, he knows. Besides, he's busy then and can't drive Yugo crazy." Yuto replied and pointed to his cousin who looked at him as if he's grown a second head.

"From where do you take this nonsense that I'm driving someone crazy?" he sulkily wanted to know and ignored the grin of the blue haired one who had heard it. "That's no nonsense, that's the full truth." he said loud enough to let Yuri hear him while Lady Atlas was still clinging to him. The violet haired male glared at him.

Shun didn't had the feeling that his nephew would tell him, what he wanted to know, with the way he was staring at the other one, so he turned to his offspring... who started to move again at that moment and stepped to the small family. He reached out his hand, an invitation that was accepted. Yuya's smaller hand was put on his and his fingers closed around it, then he guided him to the dance floor.

The man watched after the couple before he looked to his best friend. Zarc held Ray in his arms, both of them a bright and satisfied smile in their faces. As happy as they grinned, Shun decided to enjoy the moment of peace and to be thankful that his son's announcement didn't come the way he thought it would.

\---

"How nice~ That's what I'm calling a Happy End." Rin looked down from her seat with a smile, watching the couple dancing. Their younger protege bloomed in his fiancé's arms. "I agree with you." Serena said and sipped at her tea. "It's nice to see how happy they are. Even though it was a damn long way."

Ruri nodded. "Even if it's not appropiate to curse, you're right." She nibbled at a cookie. The fairies had made themselves comfortable and produced their table with tea and cookies out of thin air while watching the party, hidden very well at the small balcony.

Both of her friends grinned at each other. "Who knows how much we will curse. From now on, we don't need to worry about two certain crows, Yuzu isn't there anymore and we won't live with Yugo under a roof anymore too who's cursing at least once a day." Serena counted.

The green haired female grinned even more. "Lord Yuri has to deal with Yugo's cursing now. I wish I could see that when the two of them have to do with each other. Well, I'll invite myself more often." she said. Her leader laughed quietly. "You're very optimistic about them. I think, there won't be anything in next time. Lady Atlas will want to make up for all the years she had to spend without her son." she replied.

"Oh, I bet that they will become a thing. It'll probably take some time but I'm sure that Yuya and prince Yuto won't be the only ones getting married in the near future." Serena shook her head. "And I bet that it'll take more than a while until Yugo and Lord Yuri will be a couple. If at all, the way they are fighting." she countered.

For a moment they looked at each other. "I give them one year or two at most. If I win, you'll bake me a big cake every week for one year." 

"I give them more then two years. And if I win, you'll learn cooking." 

"Agreed!" Ruri smirked, then she turned her attention to the dance floor again, on which there were more pairs and whirling around to the beat of the music.

\---

It took a while until he managed to break off of his parents. His mother didn't want to let go of him as if she feared he could disappear for other 16 years. It's thanks to his father that she didn't follow his heels. When more pairs found themselves on the dance floor, he had pulled her with him and gave Yugo some space to breath. Yuri had disappeared in the crowd.

The blue haired male looked around. He felt odd being between all these strangers, also because he didn't know anybody. For a few moments he watched his parents dancing, then he noticed out of the corner of his eyes a certain couple leaving the area arm in arm. Yugo followed them until they disappeared behind a curtain.

Stopping in front of it he listened to the two voices behind it how they spoke with each other and eventually he heard Yuya laughing. Like he had done before when he was happy and felt the same about something. The young man smiled. He had been worried already. Shortly he listened to the sound, then he took a deep breath. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Behind the thick fabric it became silent, then... "Sure, come out, Yugo!" He followed the invitation and found Yuto and Yuya laying in each other arms on a balcony, with view of the castle garden and the fountain there, bathed in the soft light of the moon.

Sheepishly, the nobles son scratched at the back of his head. "Well... I just wanted to talk with Yuy- ... His Highness." he explained and sounded abashed with each word. Yuto frowned, then he pulled away from his fiancé and breathed a kiss on his forehead. "I'll get something to drink." he said and returned to the hall.

"What is it about?" Yuya asked and tilted his head slightly. Yugo took a second deep breath feeling the cool night air in his lungs. "About all the lies in this nearly 16 years. And that I never said something, that I always shut up. I wanted to apologize that I stayed silent. Like a coward." he answered.

For a moment it was quiet, then he felt two thin arms hugging him. "Forgive and forget. I know now that you only wanted to protect me." Relief grew in the blue haired one. "Thanks." Yuya pulled slightly away from him. "But I won't forgive you if you continue to talk this formal to me and with "Your Highness", ok?" he pouted at him.

Yugo was briefly speechless, then he laughed. "Ok, I can live with that." he answered with a wide grin. "Good." The younger male copied him. "I don't want anything to change between us. After all, we're a family." Especially the last words he hadn't expected. Yugo nodded being touched and pressed Yuya to himself. In the last years he had thought that the relationship between the both of them would change as soon as they took their real positions in society. It was nice that it wouldn't be like that.

The prince smiled, then he pulled away completely from the older one. "How was the meeting with your parents? 16 years are a rather long time." he curiously wanted to know. Yugo scratched the back of his head. "At first a surprise. I didn't thought that I would meet them in the throne room. I've always imagined it different. But I'm really happy. I've missed them."

"And what's between you and Yuri?" For a moment it was quiet. "W-What should be b-b-between me a-and this stupid cabbage head?! Where d-do you take this nonsense?!" Yugo stuttered and blushed. On the younger males face an innocent smile appeared. "Yuto told me that you and his cousin are very close." he answered and watched the other blushing even more. "Your fiancé shouldn't tell such bullshit!" the blue haired one grumbled.

"Cursing doesn't belong to a member of the high nobility." a voice resounded and Yuri pushed through the wrinkles of the thick curtain. He grinned widely and looked at the duo in front of him. "Oh? I hope I'm not interrupting, Yuugou~" The young man reacted instantly. "It's Yugo, stupid cabbage head! And what do you want?!"

The smirk of the violet haired male widened even more while Yuya giggled. "Awwww, did you missed me? Don't worry, you don't need to be scared that I could leave you all alone." he teased. "THAT would be nice if you would do it!"

"How could I?! You're running into the arms of some stranger if I'm not taking care of you." He came to them und raised the hand of the youngest on the balcony to his lips. "Yuri, Yuto's cousin. It's nice to meet you, Yuya." The boy smiled. "Me too, Yuri. Yuto already told me about you." 

"I hope only good things."

"Oh yes, about your skill to terrify all the servants and soldiers and about the fact that you're often really annoying." Yuto had returned from the hall, two cups in his hands. "Here." One of them he gave Yuya and laid his arm around his fiancé kissing him softly on the forehead.

"You're hurting me, cousin. I'm not this bad." Yuri placed his hand on his chest. "No, he's even worse." it came from Yugo. Slowly, the other one turned to him and a few seconds later the two of them were discussing again.

The couple watched them for a bit, then Yuto pulled Yuya with him. "Let them be. The way it looked, they will need a while until they are finish." he said and got an approving nod. Quietly they left the balcony and stayed in the shadows of the guests who had fun in the hall. It was relaxing to observe the hustle and bustle from the side and not being in the centre of everyone's attention.

"Do you want to dance again?" The younger male shook his head. "No, not at the moment. Maybe later." Yuto looked at him. "Do you prefer to go outside for fresh air? Or do we stay here for a bit longer?" He could see at him that the many impressions slowly became too much but he didn't want to force him at all.

Yuya didn't need to think long. "Fresh air sounds like a good idea. The garden of the palace would be perfect for it." His fiancé nodded and guided him out of the room, unnoticed by the guests and their families. At the selected place it was quiet in return. The couple expected to hear Yugo and Yuri fighting at the balcony but the two had already moved to another location. Thus to this, they could enjoy the silence even more.

"Better?" 

"Mhm. A lot." Together they looked up to the moon after they sat down on the stony edge of the fountain. The younger one laid his head on the shoulder of his beloved. "Can I tell you something?" he asked after a while. "But please don't get it wrong."

Yuto turned his head and breathed a kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry. What is it about?" Yuya felt uncertainty and embarrassment raising within him. "When aunt Ruri and the others told me that I was engaged to a "prince Yuto" and had to marry him, I didn't want to marry this guy. I didn't even want to meet him." he confessed.

The older male blinked, then he laughed. "Oh this? Don't think about it, I know it myself." he said and hugged Yuya who looked hurt because of his reaction. "I'm sorry that I laughed but it's really true. My father told me for years that I have to marry "prince Yuya" one day as soon as he returns. That annoyed me always and I didn't want it to happen."

The boy needed a moment to understand. "Really? That's funny." He grinned. It was really funny that they had refused to marry each other hours ago. "Yeah. But in the meantime I changed my mind." One of Yutos hands wandered up into the mop of soft, red and green hair. "I've met you."

Under happy shining rubies the smile appeared which bewitched the black haired male from the very beginning. Gently he pulled the younger one to him. Only the moon watched how their lips found each other and snuggled together. Two eye pairs in red and grey closed to savor the feeling of sweet softness to the fullest. The kiss seemed to end way too earlier. 

"I love you." 

"I love you too." 

For a moment they only looked at each other, then Yuto lifted Yuya's chin slightly to kiss him again, to taste even more of this tempting sweetness. The younger one gave in to his fiancé's tender wooing and put his arms around his beloved. Nothing and nobody would be able to separate them now.

What happened after:  
Yuzu's remains were burned as soon as the festivities to Yuya's birthday and return were over. Nobody knew what evil skills the fairy had had, so they wanted to prevent her from possibly returning back to life.

Of course Shun got, at the same time as Zarc and Ray, the explanation he had required at the appearance of his son and his son-in-law. When he heard that the person Yuto met in the forest was his own fiancé, he said: "If I had knew that earlier, it would have saved me a huge shock." and emptied a cup with one gulp. He was very relieved about the good ending of the events.

Yuto and Yuya got married at a sunny day, not long after the celebration. They spent their honeymoon in the cottage in the forest which was repaired by the fairies and their magic, so that they weren't confronted with the damages left by Yuzu. Only Dark Rebellion and a mare called Oddeyes because of her different colored eyes accompanied them.

Yuto made his threat true when the fights between Yugo and Yuri annoyed him too much. Though he didn't took the key with him rather giving it his father and saying: "You'll need it... At the latest, if the maids are acting like there are ghosts in the castle." Two days later, they found Yuri and Yugo tied together and with big bumps on the head in a less used wing of the castle, locked in a broom chamber. They recovered from the unintended trip and swore to fight if Yuto didn't hear them.

As much as they did, some people hardly believed it that the two of them really became a couple. A maid caught them during a passionate foreplay in one of the saloons. The poor girl needed some time to relax, then she accepted an offer of a noble at the country side, far away from the castle. After that, Yuri made it official that he wanted to marry Yugo and would do it. Nobody was suicidal enough to mess with him and to woo Yugo.

Rin barely won the bet. She enjoyed every single cake Serena buk. Ruri still tried to teach her cooking and baking. She managed as far as the kitchen didn't explode, each time when Rin was within it.

And if they didn't die, they're still living today.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'M on Twitter: @_liltomato_

**Author's Note:**

> 'm on Twitter too: _LilTomato_


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